


Firefly

by ScorpioInk



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Denial of Feelings, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, Healing, Literal Sleeping Together, Love Confessions, Massage, Sharing a Bed, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Trans Male Character, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:20:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28350771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScorpioInk/pseuds/ScorpioInk
Summary: Bull had only ever known harshness. The rigidity of the Qun, the structure of his place, the clearly defined future laid out for him.Emma was bright, and soft, and yielding, and nothing like Bull had met before.Damn redheads, they'll be the death of him.
Relationships: Female Inquisitor/Iron Bull, The Iron Bull/Female Trevelyan (Dragon Age)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 57





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I swear I haven't forgotten Guardian, Gilded, or Fade Child...
> 
> I...just...plot bunnies, ya know?

Bull could remember the first thing that Emma Trevelyan had ever said to him.

“The Iron Bull I presume.”

“Yeah, the horns usually give it away,” Bull had joked back, fully expecting her to laugh or roll her eyes as nobility were often known to do when he made a joke.

He _hadn’t_ expected her to laugh, pat him on the arm, and follow him over to the stone he had decided to sit on like they had been friends for their entire lives.

He still wasn’t sure why he had decided on the spot to tell her about the Ben-Hassrath. It had taken him months of traveling with Krem to open up about it, but something about Emma had him immediately comfortable.

“Leliana will likely want to read your missives, is that’s alright.”

“Understandable.”

“Sounds like we have a deal, Ser Bull.”

“Just call me Bull, all my friends do.”

“Bull,” Emma shook his hand confidently, “call me Em.”

Here they were, nearly six weeks later, and Bull couldn’t remember what it was like to not have Emma in his life. Emma seemed to get along with everyone, except Vivienne, and it was easy to spoke how she just made everyone around her happier.

Like right now, as Bull watched Emma speak with Blackwall, fully engaged in whatever it was that he was saying, even though Harrett’s constant hammering must have made it difficult to listen.

Emma laughed, her hand on Blackwall’s chest as she tried to collect herself. Blackwall placed his hand over hers. He was misreading the situation, Emma touched everyone, but Blackwall always took it as meaning something more than it did.

“Stop frowning,” Krem elbowed Bull, “she’s allowed to have friends.”

“I know she is,” Bull rolled his eye, “but Blackwall thinks that she likes him as more than a friend when she’s just being Emma.”

“Ah but it’s hard not to fall for her, isn’t it? Half of Haven is lost on her. Can’t blame the old man for hoping.”

“Are you lost on her, Krem?”

“You bet,” Krem laughed, “not the only one in the Chargers, either.”

Bull didn’t miss the longing look on Blackwall’s face as Emma bid him farewell. She caught Bull’s eye as she started walking back toward the gate, smiling brightly and practically skipping over despite the large staff across her back.

“Herald,” Krem greeted as Emma came to a stop in front of Bull’s tent.

“Emma,” she shot back, “how are the Chargers doing?”

“Bored,” Bull shrugged, “you’ve been taking Sera and Cassandra everywhere. I’m not much for waiting around.”

“Well you’re in luck my large-horned friend,” Emma smiled at him, “we leave tomorrow for Redcliffe.”

“Yeah? What are we doing there?”

“Meeting with the Mages.”

“You’ve picked the Mages?”

“I haven’t _picked_ anyone,” Emma pulled her staff from her back, brushing some of her hair from her face, “but I need to speak with everyone to make an educated choice, right?”

“Right,” Bull agreed, “I assumed…”

“That because I’m a Mage I’m biased?” Emma laughed, “it’s alright, you can say it.”

Now that she had pointed it out, Bull didn’t want to say it. There had been no evidence that she would pick the Mages, and she seemed to get along with Cullen well enough.

“I would have thought that the idea of a keep full of Templars would be a nightmare for you,” Krem shrugged, “not so much bias in their favor, more…fear of the other side.”

“Well, you’re not wrong,” Emma looked concerned for a moment, but quickly shook it off, “but I owe everyone here a thought-out choice, not an impulsive one. It’s not about my comfort, it’s about the greater good.”

“You’ll make the right call, Em,” Bull pat her on the shoulder, his hand dwarfing her smaller frame.

“Thanks, Bull,” Emma tapped her staff on the ground, “there.”

“What?”

“You had a hole in your tent,” Emma nodded toward the canvas, “all fixed.”

Bull glanced over his shoulder, “thanks. I sat up too fast last night, put my horn through it.”

“Can’t have my favorite Qunari getting wet at night.”

“Do you even know another Qunari?”

“Nope,” Emma laughed, “I need to check in with Cullen. I’ll grab you tomorrow morning before we go.”

“See you, boss.”

“Bye Bull. Krem, are we still on later for chess?”

“You bet.”

“Bye!”

Emma skipped off toward Cullen, Bull watching her as she left.

“Looks like I’m not the only one lost on her.”

“Yeah, well, you know how I feel about red-heads.”

***

Bull couldn’t stand the sight of Emma frowning, for some inexplicable reason it got under his skin and made him itch.

“I’m going to turn in for the night,” Emma pushed away her glass, still mostly full.

“Can I finish that?” Sera pointed to the cup.

“Be my guest, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I’ll turn in too,” Bull stood, “come on, I’ll walk you to your room.”

Emma was quiet but still managed a small smile as they headed toward the stairs.

“Night, Bull.”

“Hey, Em,” Bull stopped her before she disappeared into her room, “you okay?”

Emma frowned, “come in, I don’t want to be overheard.”

Emma sat heavily on the bed, gesturing for Bull to join her as he shut the door.

“We’ve been travelling together for a while now. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so down.”

“What do you know about our Circles here?”

“It’s where you keep your Mages, right? Or it was.”

“And do you know how we get there?”

“No.”

“When I was five, I was sitting with my mother in her study, she was reading to me. She commented that it was getting dark, and we would need to stop soon. I think likely she just had other things to do, more important things than reading to a five-year-old. Of course, I was five, so why would I know that, right? Mum said it was too dark, so I lit a candle.”

Emma snapped her fingers, and Bull watched as the candle on the small desk lit.

“The next morning the Templars took me from my house, dragged me off to the Circle. I never saw my mother again. I was _five_ , Bull. It hadn’t even occurred to me that magic was a bad thing until I had strange people pulling me from my home, my older brother, father, mother, all in tears as they loaded me into a carriage and I was just gone. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my dog. I was taken to the Circle in Ostwick, and that was where I stayed until the Circles fell. You’re forced to study magic all day if you want to or not, and you do all of this knowing that if you step out of line, even once, they might make you Tranquil, or kill you.”

“Sounds rough,” Bull wasn’t sure what else to say.

“It is, but they tell you that magic is like fire. It’s beautiful when it’s contained, controlled, but left unchecked and it can devastate the world. I never believed that, Bull, but today. Mages siding with Tevinter Magisters…maybe they were right. I suppose I’m feeling betrayed. We’ve tried for years to convince everyone that we were better than what they said. It looks like we were wrong.”

Bull nudged Emma with his elbow gently, “for what it’s worth, I don’t think you’d ever be bought by a Tevinter Magister. You were right about _you_ , just maybe a little off about them.”

“A little off?”

“A lot off.”

Emma sighed, sagging under her emotional turmoil, “sorry, Bull. I probably shouldn’t even be ranting at you about this, I know what the Qunari do to their Mages. I’m sure a Circle would seem like a luxury vacation for the Mages under the Qun.”

“We’re friends, right?” Bull prompted, “you can talk to me.”

Emma took Bull’s hand, doing her best to link their fingers together, “what would your bosses think of you being friends with a Mage who can still open their mouth?”

“Don’t see how it’s any of their business.”

Emma smiled, the first smile Bull had seen all night, and shifted on the bed to kiss his cheek, “thanks, Bull.”

***

“A demon? Shit.”

Bull glanced up at the sound of laughing, finding Emma staring at him with a big grin across her face.

“Bull, you’re the biggest person I’ve ever met. We can handle the demon.”

“It’s an _envy_ demon, boss.”

“Yes, I know, but it’s been in my head, not yours.”

“Doesn’t that bug you?”

“I’ve been trained to deal with it,” Emma cast a quick healing spell over the group, “Barris, keep the Templars save, we’ll handle the demon.”

“Yes, Herald.”

“Come on, Bull,” Emma helped pull him to standing, “I’ll keep you safe.”

“You owe me drinks after this.”

“Deal.”

***

For a second, Bull thought that he was done for. He had tripped over a brick, his brace catching and pulling him to the ground. Envy took advantage, rushing over toward him. Bull tried to reach for his axe, finding it just out to reach.

Just as Bull had accepted his fate, the demon froze, its entire body rigid before it fell, landing on the ground in a pile of ash.

“What the…”

“Told you I would keep you safe.”

Bull’s eyes landed on Emma, staff still in hand, the end of a lightning spell on her fingers as she brushed her bright red hair from her face.

“Thanks, Em.”

“Are you okay? You caught your ankle pretty badly,” Emma dropped to the ground next to him, her hand reaching for his brace to help untangle it from the rocks.

“Hurts like a bitch.”

“Can I help?”

Bull felt a wave of affection wash over him, as much as Emma liked magic, she always checked with the people who didn’t.

“Yeah, sure.”

“I just need to touch you, hang on,” Emma helped him sit, taking his hand and closing her eyes.

It took a moment, but soon the sharp pain in his ankle lessened, and Emma let him go.

“Sorry, that’s all I’ve got left,” Emma joked, but Bull could see the fatigue in her eyes, “now I need to figure out what to do with this lot.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do I ask them to yield, or do I have them join us as allies?”

“I guess that’s up to you.”

“What would you do?”

“Coming into a fight with ancient magic? Allies.”

***

Emma had taken his advice, and as they rode back to Haven with forty Templars following behind them, Bull took the time to reflect on the decision. Glancing at Emma he found her face blank, deceptively so.

“Okay, Em?”

“You know how I promised to keep you safe from the demons?” Emma didn’t sound quite herself.

“Yeah.”

“Will you promise to keep me safe from them?”

It was then that Bull realized that Emma was not just tired, she was _terrified_. Her impassive face likely a shield that she had maintained for many years to keep her safe from the Templars who controlled her every moment.

“I promise.”

Emma smiled gratefully, “thanks, Bull.”

Bull urged his horse to move up beside Emma’s, “want to share my tent tonight? Will it make you feel safer?”

“You know,” Emma’s voice lacked the playful lilt that it normally had, “out of all the times I thought that you might invite me to your bed, it wasn’t like this.”

“You’ve thought of joining me in my bed?”

“Frequently and with great enthusiasm,” Emma winked, a hint of a smile, “I didn’t know Qunari could blush.”

“I’m not blushing, it’s hot, I’m flushed.”

“It’s snowing, Bull.”

***

“Come on,” Bull held the flap to his tent open, “bedtime. Bring your staff inside.”

Emma gave him a look, but carried the staff inside and set it down on the ground, “why?”

“They’re so busy setting up their tents they didn’t watch where you went. If you left the staff outside they would know. They won’t go rummaging through all of the tents to find you.”

“They know where I am, anyway. It’s a Templar thing.”

“Yeah, but they won’t fuck with me to get to you.”

“Thank you for letting me stay. I know you prefer your tent partners naked and wanting, but I do appreciate it.”

Bull laughed, “yeah, and where did you hear that?”

“A few weeks ago one of the bar girls came to find me panicked that she was expecting your child.”

“Wait, what?”

“Terrified,” Emma confirmed as she prepared for bed, pulling a long sleeping shirt from her bag, “I was known in our Circle for helping with…expected arrivals…so she called on me one night to make sure that she wasn’t with child.”

“She wasn’t, was she?”

“No, she had just miscounted her weeks is all, but when it same thing happened a week later with a _different_ girl, I realized you had a pattern.”

“Does it bother you?”

Emma snorted, “no, why should it?”

“You’re a noblewoman, most are…opposed...to such things.”

“You’re not mine to tame, Bull. You do as you wish. I’ve given the girls tea to drink, so they shouldn’t be able to get pregnant anyway. I would warn you that some of them have come to me before about certain contagious rashes, so I would keep to one or two trusted partners.”

“Well this is embarrassing,” Bull pulled off the leather harness on his shoulder before working on the metal brace on his ankle.

“I promise I won’t say a word to anyone else,” Emma undressed with a sort of comfort that Bull hadn’t expected, barely bothering to turn from Bull as she did.

“What about you, anyone catch your interest?”

“A few, but no one I think I’ll pursue.”

“Why not?”

Emma shrugged one shoulder, not committing to an answer as she watched Bull fight with the brace, “need help?”

“I think I broke it today, the clasp isn’t working.”

“Here,” Emma pushed his hands away, finding the clasp and repairing it with a quick spell before helping Bull pull it off and set it aside.

“Thanks.”

Bull dropped onto his back with a groan, patting the bedroll beside him. Emma dropped down beside him, gently holding his wrist with one hand and stroking the skin with her thumb, “thanks for letting me stay here.”

“You’re welcome. Why did you take them on as allies if they scare you so much?”

“Because you thought I should.”

“What does my thought on the matter have to do with it?”

“I don’t trust them,” Emma looked up at him, “but I trust you. You come from a land of nearly constant war, you’re a spy if you don’t know who we can trust as allies, who will?”

“I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable in your own home.”

“I’ve got you, so I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

Bull felt that same rush of affection, “I’ll keep you safe, Em.”

“I know.”

***

Emma Trevelyan was one of the most beautiful women that Bull had ever seen. He had thought as much as soon as he had met her, but now in the quiet of the morning in their shared tent, he had a moment to look at her uninterrupted as she slept.

Bull had always had a thing for redheads, it had turned into a running joke with the Chargers, but Emma’s hair was amazing. To call it red would be lacking, it was red, burgundy, orange, copper, and _curly_. It fell in bright ringlets down her back almost to her hips, often tamed into braids, but sometimes it was loose and surrounded her face like a lion's mane.

Her skin was fair, like most redheads, and her nose and cheekbones were covered in dozens of tiny freckles that seemed to spread the more time she spent in the sun.

Her eyes were closed now, but Bull knew that behind the impossibly long eyelashes were bright green eyes, one a little different with a big brown spot taking up half the iris.

“ _Even my eyes have freckles,”_ Emma had joked once when Bull brought it up.

Yes, she was stunning, and Bull enjoyed every minute he had to admire her without Krem or anyone else running a commentary on the matter.

“Hey, Em,” Bull shook her shoulder gently, “it’s time to wake up.”

“No,” Emma protested, hiding her face against his shoulder, “I’m warm, I’m comfortable, let’s just stay here and they can go on without us.”

“I didn’t know you wanted to be in my bed that badly, Herald.”

“I’ll admit to some curiosity about certain parts of your anatomy.”

Bull chuckled, “yeah?”

“There’s a bet running through the inner circle about if you’re in proportion or not.”

“I am.”

“Prove it.”

Bull snorted, “right now?”

“You’re right, I’d probably need a drink or two first to work up to it,” Emma sighed, pushing herself up to sitting, “I guess I need to brave the group.”

“You’ll be okay.”

“I’ve got you, of course, I will be.”

***

The ride back to Skyhold had been uneventful, and Barris had proven to be a reasonable man. Emma had been uncertain at first, but as they continued on they had slowly started speaking.

“Ostwick,” Barris hummed under his breath, “I tried to be transferred there for years.”

“Why?”

“Closer to my family, I would have been able to ride to see them in an afternoon. What was it like there?”

“A prison. The Templars there wouldn’t let us have even a second to ourselves. Outside of Kirkwall, we had the highest number of Tranquil.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Barris frowned, “I’ve never agreed to the rite of tranquility myself. I think it shows a lack of teaching rather than a lack of control.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Barris looked over his shoulder at the Templars riding up behind them, “this must be very uncomfortable for you.”

“Terrifying, yes. I have Bull though.”

“Bull, how did you join the Inquisition?”

“Emma hired me, and my merc group. We’re her personal guards, keep the Templars off of her. We have a few Mages in the Inquisition, and we don’t want the Templars fucking with them.”

“Noted, I’ll make sure to speak with them.”

“Thank you, Barris. I’m sure Cullen will help you understand how things work,” Emma was far more diplomatic, “we don’t have a Circle at Haven, all of the Mages are free, and they’re to stay that way.”

“Of course. I’ll go and speak with the others.”

Barris slowed his horse and rode back toward the others.

“My hero.”

Bull rolled his eye, “just letting him know where things stand.”

Emma’s tiny hand reached for his arm, squeezing gently, “thank you, Bull. I know you don’t like magic, it means a lot to me that you would defend me.”

“I don’t like magic,” Bull agreed, “but I like you.”

***

Krem whistled as Bull explained their fight with the envy demon.

“Then up comes Em, she plants her staff in its back and just fries him. I thought I was done, but she took it down. She took the Templars on as allies too, even though she could have made them prisoner. Just because I suggested it.”

“Must have made it hard for her last night, trying to sleep with all of them around.”

“She slept with me, I promised to keep her safe.”

“She…slept with you?”

“Slept, as in sleep.”

“As if you ever just _sleep_ with someone in your bed,” Krem rolled his eyes, “I knew you liked her, but that didn’t take long. Sure you should be sleeping with her before she pays us?”

“It was just sleeping.”

Emma’s voice made Krem jump, and he turned with a bright blush across his face, “I didn’t see you walk over.”

“I assumed as much when you started talking about my sex life,” Emma wrapped her arm over Krem’s shoulder, “which is non-existent if you’re curious. Bull was a perfect gentleman all night.”

“That makes a change,” Krem joked, trying to calm his blush.

“I don’t think so, I imagine he wouldn’t have as many women in his bed if he wasn’t charming and gentlemanly at least _sometimes_.”

“Yeah, shut up Krem.”

Emma laughed, “Bull, you have an appointment with Harritt, he’s going to make you a better brace.”

“Sweet of you to make the appointment, Boss, but you haven’t paid us yet.”

“Free,” Emma said dismissively as she fixed some of the small holes in Krem’s shirt, “you broke the other one on a job for the Inquisition, and I’ve found enough supplies to rebuild it, so Josephine and I discussed it and decided it should be covered by the Inquisition.”

“Oh, thanks.”

“No problem,” Emma glanced up as Cullen called her name, “duty calls, see you both later.”

“Yeah, see you.”

Bull watched as Emma skipped over to Cullen and Barris, her hair a cloud of curls behind her.

“Uh oh,” Krem chuckled under his breath.

“What?”

“You’ll figure it out.”

***

“Chief,” Krem smacked Bull’s arm hard enough to hurt, “look.”

Bull almost couldn’t believe it, curled up in Cullen’s arms was an exhausted, but alive, Emma Trevelyan.

“Shit. I thought she was dead.”

“Me too,” Krem let out a sigh of relief that Bull felt spoke for all of them.”

“Move,” Cullen was shouting as he tried to part the crowd.

“Chief?”

“On it.”

Bull stood, easily parting those who crowded around Cullen and Emma.

“I need to get her to the healers,” Cullen spoke to Bull, “can you move them?”

“Let me carry her, they won’t stop me.”

Emma groaned as she was shifted from Cullen to Bull’s arms.

“You’re okay,” Bull whispered to her, “I’ve got you.”

“Bull?” Emma’s teeth were chattering together, “I told him to fuck off, did you see?”

“You told us to run, but I’m sure it was great,” Bull pulled Emma tighter against his chest in an attempt to warm her, “let’s get you to a healer.”

“I’ll be fine,” Emma protested, “we need to keep moving.”

“Sorry, Em. I promised to protect you. Healer first.”

Emma shivered violently in his arms, letting out a groan of pain as she did, “okay.”

“We can save the world after. I promise.”

***

“How are you feeling?”

“Exhausted,” Emma asked as she walked through the snow.

They had been walking for two days, following some instructions from Solas who seemed to know of a fortress that could keep them safe.

“Healer says you’ll be okay.”

“I’m sure I will, it’s just a chill that I can’t seem to shake. I don’t know if it’s the snow, the magic mark that suddenly can open rifts as well as close them, or the fact I know I have an ancient Tevinter Magister hunting me down.”

“Everyone is running from something. At least you can kill yours.”

“What are you running from, Bull?”

Bull wasn’t sure how to answer, but it was a thought that had kept him up lately, “still figuring it out.”

“Well, I’ll tell you what,” Emma took Bull’s hand, holding it as they walked, “I’ll protect you from whatever you’re running from, and you protect me. If we look out for each other, I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

“Deal.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Krem should have all the nice things.

Something was wrong with Krem, and he wouldn’t tell Bull what it was. As the day continued, it started to drive him crazy.

“Shield up, Krem.”

Bull crashed into Krem and this time instead of just falling, there was a shout of pain.

“Stop,” Krem dropped his shield, sitting heavily.

“Going to tell me what’s bugging you now?”

“I think I broke my rib,” Krem wheezed, holding his side with one hand.

“How?”

Krem shot him a look, one that Bull understood immediately.

“You can’t wear it all the time, Krem. It’s bad for you.”

“I know.”

“We need to take you to a healer.”

“Stitches can’t do anything. It’s a bone.”

“We have magical healers, Krem. It’s the Inquisition.”

“I’m not taking my shirt off in front of someone I don’t know,” Krem snapped, wincing as he did.

“I get it,” Bull helped Krem stand, “but we shouldn’t leave it.”

The idea came to him suddenly, and Bull scanned the area for any sign of Emma. Thanks to her bright hair, it only took a moment to spot her speaking with Cassandra.

“What about Em?”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“It’s not safe, Krem.”

“Fine.”

Bull helped Krem over to Emma who glanced up with a smile as they walked over, “and how are the Chargers today?”

“Can we talk to you for a second? Somewhere private?”

“Sure,” Emma bid Cassandra farewell and followed Bull a few steps away, “what’s going on?”

“Krem needs a healer,” Bull whispered, Krem flushing beside him, “he doesn’t like seeing strangers. You mentioned…well those tavern girls…can you help?”

“Of course, can you make it to my quarters? They’re out of the way and we won’t be disturbed.”

Krem nodded, and they followed Emma as she walked through the keep holding the door open for them.

“I’m sorry, Krem, there are two flights of stairs.”

“It’s okay.”

Krem was breathless by the time they arrived in Emma’s quarters, and he held on to the banister for a minute as he tried to catch his breath.

“Take a seat on the bed, I’ll just shut the curtains and be right over.”

Bull helped Krem to the bed, helping him with his chest plate as Emma closed the curtains and lit some candles.

“So what seems to be the problem?”

“I broke a rib.”

“I see, the other healers couldn’t put it right?”

Krem shot a look to Bull who explained, “Krem doesn’t like strangers seeing him without-“

“Of course,” Emma cut him off, “that was a silly question, wasn’t it? Krem, do you still have your binder on?”

Krem looked stunned for a minute, “yes.”

“I’ll need to take it off so I can make sure everything heals in the proper place. Did you feel comfortable with Bull helping you?”

“He’s seen me topless before.”

“I don’t doubt that, but I was asking if you were comfortable with it.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Lovely. Now, I’ll need to touch your skin, so it’s easier if your shirt is off. I’m going to go over to my desk. You turn and face the headboard. Bull can help you undress, and when you’re ready I’ll come over, okay?”

Krem nodded, and as Emma walked to her desk he whispered, “did you tell her?”

“No,” Bull undid the laces to Krem’s shirt, pulling it over his head.

“How does she know?”

“No idea.”

The binder was harder to take off, snug enough that it made Krem cry out as Bull pulled it over his head.

“Okay, ready.”

“Keep your back to me, Krem,” Emma walked over to the bed, “I’m going to touch your back, alright?”

“Yeah.”

“Which side hurts?”

“Can’t tell anymore. Both.”

Emma gently pressed her hands to Krem’s back, “you’ll feel warm for a few minutes as I put it right, okay?”

Krem nodded, and Bull made sure to stand close enough to reassure him if he needed to. Krem closed his eyes as the magic started to spread, and Bull watched the purple bruising across his side start to fade.

After a few minutes, Emma frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Bull spoke softly to not startle Krem or Emma as she worked.

“I’ll need to touch the front of your chest, but I understand that doesn’t make you comfortable, so this is what we can do,” Emma pat Krem’s shoulder, “take my hand and press it to the bruising. I won’t move it."

Krem took a deep breath, closing his eyes and bracing himself as he guided Emma’s hand to where it hurt. Bull wasn’t sure what was more painful, the broken rib, or the contact.

“I’m sorry,” Emma kissed Krem’s shoulder affectionately, “I know this isn’t ideal, but you’ll feel much better.”

“You seem very calm about it all.”

Emma laughed, “yes, well. I have a brother you see, Michael.”

“Okay…”

“Who was born Michelle.”

“Oh,” Krem seemed to relax a little, “yeah?”

“Uh-huh. Other side now, Krem.”

Krem took Emma’s other hand, moving it to the bruising, “did he ever…”

“Break his ribs binding? Yes, a few times. I only saw him occasionally, I was locked up in the tower, right? Still, he came to visit sometimes, and I would heal him if it bothered him. Eventually, we worked out a spell so he didn’t need to bind anymore. We managed to sculpt his chest so it wasn’t needed.”

“Really?”

“Yep. If I was forced to study magic all day I wanted it to be something that mattered to me. My brother is my best friend, so I dedicated my time to him.”

“Did you ever figure out a spell for…lower?”

“Work in progress. My studies were interrupted by the end of the world. How are you feeling?”

“A lot better. I guess I should take a few days off from binding.”

“You should, but I healed you enough that you don’t have to. That binder is terrible by the way.”

“I know, it’s all I could find.”

“It stinks, too,” Bull handed it back to Krem, watching as he struggled to pull it on.

Emma waved her hand to clean it, patting Krem on the shoulder as she stood from the bed, “don’t smack him with a shield for a few days, alright, Bull?”

“I won’t.”

“Krem, you need a better binder.”

“I’d love one, but I don’t know where to get them and they’re expensive.”

“I could always do the same for you that I did for my brother, but that’s up to you. That’s not something to rush into, so think about it.”

Krem pulled his shirt on and turned to face Emma, “thanks for helping me.”

“You’re welcome,” Emma smiled, “and now you have something to brag about with Bull.”

“Oh?”

“You stripped in my room before he did.”

Bull groaned and rolled his eyes, “thanks, Em.”

“No problem, Bull.”

***

“Josephine, you remember how you mentioned I need to go to Orlais?”

“Yes, Inquisitor.”

“Let’s organize that for this week.”

“Certainly, Inquisitor. Who will you be taking with you?”

“Bull and Krem.”

That caught Bull’s attention, putting his gaze from his dinner up to Emma as she spoke, “us?”

“Are you busy?”

“No, but you normally pick a bigger party and not my party.”

“I have someone there that Krem should meet.”

“Who?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Emma turned her attention back to Josephine, “can you have Cassandra head to the Storm Coast? She can speak with the Blades, let her pick whoever she wants to go with her.”

“Certainly.”

“Perfect, we’ll leave tomorrow.”

***

Bull waited until dinner had finished to question Emma on the plans.

“Orlais, huh?”

“Right,” Emma set her glass down, “I know someone there who makes binders. I wrote to them and they’ve agreed to help Krem. I do have other Inquisition work to do while I’m there, but we can arrive a day early and order what he needs, with luck we can bring it back at the end of the week.”

“Does Krem know?’

“I haven’t told him, no.”

“That’s really nice of you, Em.”

“I like to think I’m a nice person. Maybe too nice.”

“Too nice?”

“Blackwall spoke to me today,” Emma quickly glanced around to make sure no one was listening in, “he thought I was romantically interested in him.”

“Yeah I know, he’s thought that since Haven.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Honestly, I didn’t think he would do anything about it.”

Emma sighed, “anyone else I should know about?”

“I’ve got a list.”

“Shit.”

***

Krem was panicked.

“You don’t understand, Chief. _One_ good binder can cost hundreds of gold.”

“Shit, really? It’s a shirt.”

“It’s not just a shirt.”

“Emma wouldn’t have set this up if you needed to spend hundreds of gold. She says she knows them, maybe it’s a friend?”

“Maker, she’s going to take us out there and I won’t be able to afford it,” Krem tossed his bag into the cart with more force than strictly needed.

“Stop worrying, it won’t change anything. She has work out there anyway, so it’s not like we’re going just for you.”

“You boys ready?”

Bull looked up as Emma walked over.

“Good to go.”

“Krem?”

“Uh, yeah. All packed.”

“Lovely,” Emma added her bag to the cart, “well get in, I’ll drive for now.”

***

“Inquisitor Trevelyan.”

Bull was hardly surprised to see everyone jump to attention as they arrived outside the inn that they would be staying at in Orlais. The horses were whisked away and their bags whisked away to the rooms they would be staying in.

“You’re just in time for dinner, Inquisitor. Will your…” the man who had identified himself as the owner looked over Bull and Krem with distaste, “companions…be joining you?”

“Of course they will be.”

“We do require shirts in the dining room.”

“That’s a shame,” Emma shrugged, “I suppose we’ll go to the tavern down the street for dinner.”

“Wait! I’m sure we can make an exception.”

“You’re so kind,” Emma said dryly, “come on, Bull. Let’s eat.”

***

Emma laughed as Krem’s eyes lit up when his dinner was placed in front of him, “hungry?”

“I can’t think of the last time I had roast chicken,” Krem beamed at Emma, and Bull couldn’t help but smile at his excitement, “it’s worth paying almost a week’s wages for.”

“You’re not paying, Krem,” Emma filled their glasses, “Inquisition is covering food and board.”

“What, seriously?”

“Seriously,” Emma sat back as her food was placed in front of her, “you’re here on my request, I don’t expect you to deal with that cost.”

“You might regret that, Em. I eat a lot.”

“Do your worst, Bull.”

***

“Thanks for dinner, Em.”

“You’re welcome, Krem. Goodnight.”

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Bull asked once Krem was in his room.

“Of course,” Emma opened the door to the room she was staying in, “come on in.”

“Krem is worried about how much this binder is going to cost, he’s been stressing about it since I told him. If the Inquisition can pay for it, you can take it off what you’re paying the Chargers. Just don’t tell him I did that, or he’ll throw a fit.”

“That’s very kind of you, Bull, but the Inquisition was already going to pay for it.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m the Inquisitor,” Emma lit the candles in the room with a snap of her fingers, “and I said so.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because I like him,” Emma sat on the bed, patting for Bull to join her, “because I like you, and because no one should have to wear a binder that doesn’t fit and hurts them.”

“You keep talking like that and I’m going to think you’re sweet on me.”

Emma took Bull’s hand, squeezing gently, “would that be a bad thing?”

“No,” Bull answered quickly, “but you should probably know that Qunari’s don’t believe in love.”

Bull had been expecting Emma to recoil, pull her hand away, instead she smiled, “you’re seriously trying to tell me after you offered to pay for a binder for Krem that you don’t believe in love? You expect me to believe that?”

“That’s different.”

“Right, it’s not like your affection for him cost you an eye or anything…oh wait.”

“I didn’t even know him when I lost my eye for him.”

“Do you regret it?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean I believe in love.”

“Uh-huh,” Emma rolled her eyes, “whatever you say.”

“Seriously, Em.”

“You can believe whatever you want, Bull, but I know you.”

“Oh yeah? If you’re so convinced you know me better than I know myself what’s my favorite colour?”

“Red.”

“…how did you know that?”

***

“Lady Trevelyan,” the female shopkeep had greeted them early the next morning, “it’s wonderful to see you after so long.”

“Laura, I’ve told you a million times to call me Emma.”

“You say that as if you aren’t one of the most powerful women in all of Thedas.”

“For now, maybe, but you’ve known me since I was young.”

“Well, Emma, what can I do for you?”

“This is Krem,” Emma introduced, “he needs a few of those shirts that you used to make for Michael. Something that fits, his current one breaks his ribs.”

“We can’t have that,” Laura ushered them into her store, locking the door behind them, “any style in particular?”

“I don’t know much about them,” Krem answered honestly, “just want it as flat as possible.”

“I can do that, we’ll need to take some measurements, then we can talk about materials.”

“I’ll need a corset measured while we’re here, Laura. I have a ball in a few weeks.”

“And the big one?”

“Bull is here for moral support.”

“Wonderful, let’s get started.”

***

“One corset,” Laura wrote out the invoice, “one undershirt.”

“Two,” Emma corrected, “he’ll need two.”

“I can only get one done before you leave…”

“That’s fine, send the other with the corset.”

“I can do that, your total is-“

“Just invoice the Inquisition, I’ll have it paid as soon as we’re back. I brought a deposit.”

“Emma,” Krem tried to glance over her shoulder to see how much it cost, “how much?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Emma turned over the paper that Laura had been writing on, “it’s a gift.”

“Em…”

“Yes?”

“How much?”

“It’s rude to ask how much a gift costs,”

“Em-“

Emma kissed Krem on the cheek, turning to face him, “it costs what it costs, alright? You don’t need to worry about it. It’s been taken care of.”

“It’s so expensive though.”

“Krem, she wants to pay for it, let her.”

“Chief-“

“Come on,” Emma tucked her arm into Krem’s, “we have other appointments today.”

“I’ll have the first one ready in two days.”

“Lovely, see you then!” Emma gave a wave and pulled Krem from the store, Bull following closely behind them.

“What now?”

“Now,” Emma took Bull’s arm so she was walking between them, “we find potion ingredients.”

***

“Let me pay for dinner,” Krem was practically begging, “please.”

“Fine,” Emma finally agreed after a day of Krem fretting over the gift, “will that make you feel better?”

“It’s a start.”

“Is he always this stubborn, Bull?”

“No, but he doesn’t usually have pretty women buying him gifts, either.”

“Well that won’t do, I’ll speak with Maryden when I get back.”

Krem blushed a brilliant red, “how did you know?”

“You stand on the chair, Krem, it’s not hard to notice. Come on, there’s a nice tavern over here.”

***

“Thank you for today,” Bull said as he walked Emma to her room, “I know Krem appreciates it.”

“He fought with me _all day_.”

“He’s never had anyone be nice to him before me, and he’s not very open about the whole thing. He’s in shock, that’s all. He’ll be fine tomorrow.”

“Good, did you want to come in for a drink?”

“Sure,” Bull followed Emma into her room, sitting on the bed as she opened a bottle of wine she had bought earlier.

“I don’t have glasses, I hope you don’t mind drinking from the bottle.”

Bull laughed, “not in the slightest.”

“Good,” Emma sat beside him, close enough their legs were pressed together, “tell me about Seheron.”

Normally, Bull avoided this sort of thing, changed the subject, and moved onto something else. This time something gave him pause.

“What do you want to know?”


	3. Chapter 3

Bull woke confused, glancing around the room to try and figure out his surroundings. A soft snore alerted him to Emma pressed against his side, one of her legs wrapped over his possessively.

Bull tried to remember how they had ended up here, gradually recalling the night before, the offer for a drink in Emma’s room, followed by conversations about Seheron, the Qun, Ostwick, and anything else that had caught their interest. They must have fallen asleep together at some point, and Emma had wrapped herself around him.

“Em?”

“Hmm?”

“We should get up, the sun is coming up and I fell asleep in here.”

“What’s the rush?” Emma shifted, moving her head further onto Bull’s chest and wrapping her arm over his stomach.

“Krem is going to be looking for us.”

“He knows where my room is, he can knock.”

Bull started to protest again but found himself coming up with no reason to argue about their current position, wrapping his arm around Emma’s shoulders to keep her close.

“I knew you’d see it my way.”

***

Despite Emma’s protests, they had emerged from the room before breakfast to meet with Krem and start their various tasks for the day.

Currently, they were walking toward a weapon vendor that Emma had seen the day before, Emma leading the way through the busy crowd as Bull and Krem followed closely behind.

“You okay, Chief?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You look like you got bad news or something, or you’re mad at Emma.”

“No, not at all.”

“Is it something to do with the fact that you slept with her last night?”

“How did you know?”

“I went to find you in your room, you weren’t there.”

“I could have been with one of the tavern gifts.”

“You could have been, but you weren’t. You stopped bedding them when you thought it might scare her off.”

“Which one of us is the spy, Krem?”

“What’s got you so scared? I’ve never seen you hide from a girl before.”

“Feels different this time.”

“I bet it does.”

Bull was just about to ask Krem to explain when Emma called for him.

“Bull, come look at this axe, I think it’s better than the one you’re using.”

“What’s wrong with the one I’m using?”

“Nothing,” Emma rolled her eyes, “but this one is made with dragon bone.”

“Okay, I’m coming.”

***

“Oh _wow_.”

Something about Emma’s voice stopped Bull in his tracks, circling back to Emma who was looking over a small display case with interest.

“What did you find?”

“Oh,” Emma glanced up and blushed, “nothing important.”

“I didn’t ask if it was important.”

Emma pointed to a small pendant in the case, it was tiny, no larger than Bull’s thumbnail, but it was pretty.

“A bee?” Bull looked at the wings and the body that was made of a bright amber stone.

“A firefly,” Emma admired the pendant with a wistful expression, “my dad used to call me firefly. I suppose I felt sentimental when I saw it.”

“Why don’t you get it? You’ve treated Krem to his shirts, me to a new axe, what about you?”

“We’re in the middle of a war,” Emma said sadly, “Krem needed those shirts for his health, you need a better axe for all the times you’re on the front line. This would just be something silly for me.”

“It’s not silly if it makes you happy. I bet your dad would like it.”

“I probably would have, but he died a number of years ago. Come on, Krem is probably wondering what has kept us so long. We’re meant to meet him for dinner.”

***

It hadn’t been easy, sneaking from the inn without Emma noticing, but Krem had offered to be a distraction as Bull circled back to the vendor with the pendant.

He wasn’t even sure why it had bothered him so much, but something about Emma leaving Orlais without that necklace made him uneasy.

“How much?” Bull pointed to the firefly, wondering if the look of fear on the face of the man helping him would work to his benefit.

“One hundred and fifty gold.”

“If I told you it was a gift for Inquisitor Trevelyan would that help the price?”

“I would add the chain for you.”

Bull hummed under his breath, thinking back to Emma’s wistful expression as she had found it, “one hundred and twenty with the chain, and you need to wrap it for me.”

“Deal.”

By the time Bull had returned to the inn, Emma was in bed and Krem was drinking alone at one of the tables.

“Get whatever you needed?”

‘Mmhmm,” Bull sat heavily in the chair across from Krem, “one hundred and twenty gold later.”

Krem whistled, “what is it?”

“A necklace that Emma wanted.”

Krem smiled, “you bought Emma a necklace? Since when do you buy gifts for people?”

“Hey, she’s been good to us the past few days.”

“I never said she wasn’t.”

“She deserves something nice.”

“Never said she didn’t.”

“It was important to her.”

“I’m sure it was.”

“Why do I feel like you’re mocking me?”

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Krem downed the rest of his drink, “when are you going to give it to her?”

“In the morning I guess.”

“What sort of reaction are you hoping for? Want her to jump into your bed?”

“No. We’re friends, I’m just trying to be nice. She has a lot of shit riding on her shoulders.”

“You’re an idiot,” Krem tossed down some gold for his breakfast, “see you in the morning.”

***

“Morning,” Emma greeted them with a smile the following morning as they met for breakfast, “how did everyone sleep?”

“Good,” Krem poured Emma some tea, “you?”

“Not bad, how about you, Bull?

“Can’t complain. I have something for you,” Bull set the small box in front of Emma, suddenly wishing they were alone for her reaction.

“Oh?” Emma picked up the box, turning it over in her hand, “is it appropriate to open in mixed company?”

Bull chuckled, “yes.”

Emma opened the box with a gasp, “you didn’t.”

“I haven’t seen you light up like that since we got your horse from Dennet, I wasn’t going to leave it.”

Emma carefully pulled the necklace from the box, doing the clasp up and gently adjusting the pendant to sit between her collarbones, “Bull, that’s so kind of you. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“It’s pretty, looks nice with your hair,” Krem commented, “firefly, huh?”

“I was born on the first night that summer that the fireflies were out,” Emma explained, “and then I had this mane of hair, my father said it was the perfect nickname. It was just a coincidence that my first spells were fire magic. I adored my father, after he died I went home for a few days to help my mother settle everything and I found hundreds of letters he wrote to the Templars asking for my release from the Circle. I miss him, terribly.”

“Imagine if he could see you now. Firefly the Inquisitor.”

“I don’t think he would be all that impressed about the Inquisitor thing,” Emma held the pendant between two fingers, admiring the shine of the amber, “he would just be happy I was free. He used to write to me and say, “ _fireflies were never meant to kept in jars, Em.”_ I can only imagine his relief to know that I wasn’t stuck in that prison anymore. Thank you, Bull, this is a lovely gift.”

Bull couldn’t quite figure out why her approval meant so much to him, but he smiled at her anyway, “glad you like it.”

***

“Try it on,” Emma shoved Krem behind a dressing screen, “we didn’t come all this way not to see how good it looks.”

“Okay, easy,” Krem laughed, “I’m going.”

“You,” Emma pointed to Bull as Laura disappeared behind the screen to help Krem, “come here.”

“What?”

Emma wrapped her arms around Bull’s midsection, not quite tall enough to comfortably reach his shoulders as she hugged him, “thank you for the necklace.”

“You’re welcome,” Bull returned the hug, brushing her hair from her face and taking a moment to just hold her. It was selfish, but it felt nice.

“It means a lot to me that you would do that.”

“We’re friends, right?”

“We are,” Emma agreed, “so I buy you dragon bone axes, and you buy me jewelry.”

“I’d buy you an axe, too, but you do magic with sticks.”

“It’s a staff, not a stick.”

“Same thing.”

***

“Why do you keep wincing, Bull?”

“Headache,” Bull sighed, “I’ve gotten them since I lost my eye if it’s really bright out. It’ll be fine tomorrow.”

“Want to stop and make camp? We still have another few hours before we get home.”

“No,” Bull winced as the cart went over a hard bump, “I’m good.”

“Krem?”

“I say we stop, he can get pretty sick if he doesn’t rest.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re stubborn,” Emma turned the cart from the road, down toward a small clearing in the trees, “we have dinner already packed, I brought tents just in case, we can stop so you can sleep this off.”

“Setting up a tent isn’t going to make this better,” Bull grumbled, “bending over and standing up again hurts.”

“I’ll do it.”

“You’re nobility.”

“You know, Bull, that doesn’t mean as much as you seem to think it does. You bring it up as an excuse for all sorts of things, but all it means is that my family has money, and they can trace their lineage back further than average. I’m just a person, and I can set up the tents with magic and all you need to do is sit in the cart.”

“You can?”

“I’m a decent mage,” Emma brought the cart to a stop, “Krem, can you hitch the horses?”

“Sure, of course.”

“Perfect, Bull, sit tight and we’ll get this all ready for you.”

Bull decided to do as Emma had asked, and sat in the cart as Emma unloaded the tents and set them up with a wave of her staff, shortly followed by a bright fire and dinner warming in a pot over the flames.

“Impressive.”

“Yes, well,” Emma stirred the stew they have bought from the tavern as they had left Orlais, “believe it or not I had no intention of using my magic for violence as I grew up. I’m very good at household magic, healing, mending, cooking, but that’s only because I thought I would have a night in shining armor come to save me from the Circle, and I wanted to be useful.”

Bull stepped down from the cart, joining Emma and Krem by the fire, “yeah? Wanted to be a kept woman?”

“I’ve been kept my entire life,” Emma glanced over her shoulder to Bull, “I wanted to be loved.”

***

“Come here,” Emma sat cross-legged on the ground and pat her lap, “put your head in my lap.”

“Pretty forward of you,” Bull arched his eyebrow, “you want Krem to watch?”

“Your headache looks too bad for that sort of activity, come here.”

Bull did as she had asked, stretching out on his back and carefully resting his head in her lap, “watch my horns, they’re sharp.”

“I know, I’m the one that fixes your tent. Where does your head hurt?”

“Behind my eyes.”

“Can I take this off?” Emma tapped the eyepatch lightly.

Something made Bull pause, an unfamiliar sense of discomfort at the thought of Emma looking at the knot of scar tissue underneath the patch.

“It’s ugly.”

“I very much doubt that.”

“I guess.”

Emma gently undid the leather, pulling the patch away and setting it aside, “close your eyes.”

Bull did, flinching as he felt Emma’s hands covering his eyes.

“Relax, it’s just me.”

“I know.”

As if it wasn’t bad enough that she could see the scar, now she was _touching_ it. Bull tensed as he felt her hands start to cool, bracing himself for the unknown.

“Bull,” Emma laughed, “I wouldn’t hurt you.”

“I didn’t grow up around magic that wasn’t used to hurt me.”

“I promise.”

Bull forced his body to relax, inch by inch, muscle by muscle until he was soft and pliant under Emma’s hands.

“Trust me,” Emma started moving her hands, her fingers pressing into Bull’s temples, rubbing small circles into the skin.

“I do.”

Once Bull had relaxed, it was lovely. Emma alternated between warming her fingers and cooling them, rubbing the tension from his brow until the headache was nothing more than a vague annoyance, rather than the sharp pain he had before.

Now, Emma was rubbing her thumbs firmly against the base of his horns, which was, in all honesty, one of Bull’s favorite things in the entire world. It was not unusual when he was back in Seheron to see the Tamassrans for a horn treatment just for this sort of massage.

“Feel nice?” Emma asked quietly.

“Yes,” Bull answered, “this is like a spa treatment back home.”

“Do you have any oil? I can keep going.”

“I’ll get it,” Krem offered, walking over to Bull’s bag to retrieve the balm he used on his horns, “here.”

“Thanks, Krem.”

“I’m going to turn in for the night,” Krem gave a wave and headed toward one of the tents.

“That was an abrupt exit,” Emma commented mildly as she opened the container, warming some between her hands.

“He’s been acting weird for weeks,” Bull fought the urge to groan as Emma wrapped her hands around his horn, smoothing the balm into it.

“Is this okay?”

“Yeah,” Bull mumbled out. It felt better than _okay_ , it felt amazing, so he kept his eyes closed as she worked.

Bull drifted, relaxed and resting somewhere between sleep and consciousness as Emma spoiled him. He couldn’t think of the last time someone did this for him willingly without being paid, and the fact it was Emma stirred a heat in his core that he knew he would have to address when they got back to Skyhold.

“There,” Emma did up the small container, “how’s your headache?”

“Gone,” Bull opened his eye and found the sun had set, “how long have you been doing that?”

“An hour?” Emma gently paced his eye patch back over his eye, “you seemed to be enjoying it.”

“I was, but it’s late.”

“Time for bed.”

Bull sat with a groan, “We should do that again sometime.”

Emma laughed, “sure.”

Bull watched Emma stand and stretch, admiring her curves for the second that she was distracted

“Want me to keep watch?”

“No need, I’ll set up wards, you head to bed.”

“I’ll wait for you, just my luck and I’ll go to bed and you’ll be picked off by a wolf or something.”

Emma rolled her eyes, “I won’t be long.”

“Take your time.”

Emma walked around their small camp drawing various sigils into the ground with her staff. It didn’t take long, and soon a bright circle surrounded the tents.

“All done,” Emma walked over to her tent, “night, Bull.”

“Night, Em.”

It was harder than Bull expected to fall asleep, his mind wandering to the gentle touch of Emma’s hand on his horns, the way she had willed his pain away.

Bull’s body reacted at the thought of Emma touching him elsewhere with those same gentle hands. He tried his best to ignore it, use the training he had to still his mind, but no matter what he did his thoughts drifted back to Emma.

Bull grumbled, undoing the laces to his pants to relieve the pressure against his cock. Krem had been right, he hadn’t taken anyone to bed lately, but still, he couldn’t recall the last time he couldn’t calm his libido when he wanted to.

Bull wasn’t typically one for taking his hand, but the desperation for sleep prompted him to deal with the problem. It didn’t bother him, exactly, but the fact that he found his pleasure thinking of candles and silk and Emma’s flaming red hair instead of whips and leather and rope kept him awake for hours after his afterglow had faded.

***

Krem let out a low whistle as he emerged from the tent the next morning, “damn, Chief, it must have been one hell of a headache. You look like shit.”

“Thanks, Krem,” Bull grumbled as he walked toward the fire.

“What’s wrong?” Emma asked quietly, passing him a cup of tea that would serve as breakfast.

“I didn’t sleep well.”

“Can I help?”

“Going to let me nap in the cart on the way back?”

“We could, or I can help you now with magic.”

“Sure, why not.”

Emma reached for him, and Bull closed his eyes as she tenderly cupped his face in her hands. This was too similar to what he had thought of the night before, and as her magic washed over him Bull felt the urge to kiss her settle over him with such a rush it took his breath away.

It helped, of course it did, and Bull felt much better as she pulled her hands away.

“Better?”

“Thanks,” Bull leaned down, settling on kissing Emma’s forehead.

“You’re welcome. Finish your tea and we’ll head home.”

“Okay,” Bull glanced at Krem who rolled his eyes and disappeared back into his tent with a muttering of something that sounded like “ _idiot_ ” under his breath.

***

They had spoken at length on the way back to Skyhold, and Bull had told her all about the re-educators. It had come organically, but the look of shock on Krem’s face as he told the story set his nerves on edge.

When they arrived back to Skyhold, Krem took him aside.

“Look, I don’t know what is going on with you, but stop putting it off and talk to Emma already. I’m dying of frustration just watching you two.”

“Yeah, I will.”

“Good,” Krem paused, “can you do it tomorrow?”

“Why?”

“We have a bet going in the Chargers about how long it was going to take. I win if you talk to her tomorrow.”

“How much?”

“Fifty gold.”

“I want half.”

“Fine.”

***

“So, listen,” Bull had felt momentarily guilty when Emma jumped at his voice, “I’ve caught the hints. I get what you’re saying. You want to ride the Bull.”

Emma smiled as he closed the distance from the bed to her desk, “Can’t say I blame you. But I’m not sure you know what you’re asking. Not sure if you’re ready for it.”

Emma laughed, “oh, I’m ready for it.”

“See, you say that but you really don’t know what that means.”

“So why don’t you show me?”

It felt strange, taking Emma’s wrists in his hand and pinning them above her head, and the look she gave him told him that it wasn’t entirely wanted.

“You can say no.”

“Let me go.”

Bull did, instantly, taking a step away from her as she rubbed her wrists absently. The wash of disappointment was unfamiliar, and it brought his skin up in goosebumps

Emma watched him for a minute, studying Bull’s face as she took a step forward, then another, until she had managed to back him up to the bed.

“Sit.”

He did, sitting down on the edge of the mattress as Emma stood between his legs.

“You have so many things about your life controlled for you,” Emma reached for him, her soft hands running over his chest and up his neck to his jaw, “so you control sex as a way of having something that is just yours. The Qun can’t touch you in the bedroom, right?”

Bull didn’t have an answer, so he sat quietly Emma spoke.

“I’m not a wild horse that you need to tame. I am a woman who values the way you think, your bravery, your kindness, but I don’t want you to control me.”

“What do you want?”

Emma kissed him, so gently and tenderly that Bull couldn’t stop the groan falling from his lips. She tasted of honey and sugar, and the warm tea she liked to drink, and she kissed Bull like he was made of glass.

For a moment, he felt like he might be, and as she pulled away he was scared he might shatter.

“You should go. Think about it, and let me know what you want to do, alright?”

Bull nodded, standing automatically and heading toward the stairs with only a quick pause to glance back to Emma who was watching him with a guarded expression.

He wandered for a bit before returning to the tavern, Krem immediately reading his expression and intercepting him, steering him by the shoulder and up the stairs to Bull’s room.

Krem shut the door and locked it before turning back to Bull, “what happened?”

“I don’t know.”

“Start from the beginning.”

Bull did, explaining exactly how he had approached her, what she had said, the kiss. At further prompting, he spoke about the desire to buy Emma her necklace, the feeling of waking up in her arms, how nice it had been to have her take care of his headache a few nights before.

“She thinks I like to control my partners in bed because of the Qun.”

“Okay, is she wrong?”

“I don’t know.”

“It sounds like you have some reflection to do. You’ll figure it out, Chief.”

“Krem?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s wrong with me?”

“Well,” Krem wrapped his arm across Bull’s shoulders, “I think you’re in love with Emma.”

“Qunari’s don’t believe in love.”

“No,” Krem agreed, “but I think you do.”

“I’m Ben-Hassrath.”

“Are you?”

The question hung in the air for a moment before Bull answered.

“I don’t know.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, guys. Writers block hit me like a bitch this week.

Bull hadn’t had a chance to speak with Emma before the letter had come from his bosses, and they had left for the Storm Coast.

“What’s wrong?”

Bull glanced to Emma who was riding beside him, “Ben-Hassrath aren’t meant to have any physical ties to any one place. We’re moved as we’re needed.”

“Alright, and?”

“I’m worried if they see that there is something…that…shit,” Bull sighed, “I’m worried if they see that there is something between us, they might make me leave.”

“There isn’t anything going on between us, we’ve never discussed anything.”

“Em-“

“Nope,” Emma cut him off, “you can _honestly say_ that we have not discussed anything lasting, right? If your bosses asked you _right now_ , if we were anything more than friends, you would have to say no.”

Bull caught onto Emma’s meaning, “I suppose you’re right. I’m still worried about the Chargers, though. They might think I’m too close with them.”

“You have my word if they ask you to leave that I will keep all of the Chargers employed, alright? I will make sure that they are taken care of.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Bull sighed, “why do I feel like this is going to be a mess?”

***

“Blow the horn,” Emma tugged his arm, “Bull, they’ll die.”

“You’d be declaring yourself Tal-Vashoth!”

“They’re my men,” Bull brought the horn to his lips.

The panic hit as soon as the heat from the dreadnaught washed over him.

“Bull,” Emma caught his attention, “we’ll be okay.”

***

“I can’t believe they tried to poison me, so messy,” Bull watched with mild interest as Emma willed the poison from his skin, “so lazy.”

“I think they felt like you were gone for a while, Chief,” Krem and the other Chargers huddled around them in the tavern, acting as a shield as Emma healed him, “your reports are half as often and half as long. Maybe they were just confirming, you know?”

“Yeah, you might be right.”

“What’s going to happen to all that red lyrium?”

“I have scouts destroying it, I sent the Inquisition forces to secure it as soon as the Qunari left,” Emma said absently as she wiped the poison away.

“You did?”

“Of course I did,” Emma passed Bull a potion to drink, “I’m still the Inquisitor. While you were my number one priority, I still had to deal with the fallout of the agreement going to shit. It’s literally my job.”

“I had no idea.”

“You didn’t need to worry about it, you had other things on your mind. How does that feel?”

“Fine,” Bull rolled his shoulder, “doesn’t sting anymore.”

“Good,” Emma kissed Bull’s forehead, “I need to go, I’m speaking with Leliana about saving some of the supplies from the dreadnaught.”

“It exploded,” Krem pointed out.

“It sent supplies all over when it did,” Emma brushed her hair from her face, and Bull noticed how stressed she looked, “so I’m figuring out who I can send to scout the Storm Coast. There might be something of value, but we can’t be certain. We’re discussing if there are any benefits.”

“We’ll go,” Krem offered, “it’s the least we could do.”

Bull agreed, “if they’re good to go, I’m happy to send them.”

“That would help,” Emma chewed her thumbnail, “if you don’t mind?”

“We can leave tomorrow,” Dalish agreed, “as a thank you, for saving us.”

“Thanks, guys,” Emma stood, “I’ll let Leliana know.”

“Hey, Inquisitor?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you,” Krem pulled Emma in for a hug, and not his usual hug which always seemed like he was keeping a foot between you.

Emma let out a noise of surprise as Dalish and Rocky joined in, the others gathering around them.

“I wasn’t about to let anything happen to you,” Emma pat Krem’s back, “Bull and I spoke about it on the way just in case they had asked him to leave Ferelden. He was worried about all of you, so we arranged for accommodation and work. Right, Bull?”

“Yeah,” Emma’s faith in him made his heart ache, “of course.”

***

Krem had given him a day to recover, waiting until the following night to speak with him.

“You need to talk to Emma, or I’m going to marry her, and I’ll be such a good husband you won’t stand a chance.”

“What am I supposed to say?”

“I’m not feeding you a script, Chief. Go and figure it out, but it’s been almost two weeks since you approached her, and she needs to know where your head is at.”

“How am I supposed to answer that when I don’t know?”

“Bull,” Krem rolled his eyes, “she’s a woman, not a dragon, she isn’t going to kill you if you don’t have all the answers. You will _lose_ her if you ignore it. Cullen’s been sizing her up all week.”

“Shit, really?”

“They were playing chess together.”

“Fuck,” Bull stood, “fine.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks, I’ll need it,” Bull walked from the tavern, almost bumping into Emma as he opened the door.

“Shit, sorry,” Emma laughed as Bull caught her from falling over.

“It’s okay, I was looking for you, anyway.”

“Oh?”

“Can we talk?”

“Your place or mine?”

“Yours,” Bull glanced over his shoulder, “mine is a bit public.”

“Okay, let’s go,” Emma took his hand, leading the way through the people.

Bull caught sight of Cullen in the great hall, watching them with interest as Emma only let his hand go long enough to unlock the door before ushering him inside.

“Your Commander doesn’t look happy.”

“Oh? He might be jealous.”

“Maybe,” Bull felt more and more out of his element as they walked up the stairs.

“What’s on your mind?” Emma asked as she walked over to her desk, pulling a bottle of wine from one of the drawers.

“I don’t know where to start.”

“I’ve got nowhere to be, so wherever works for you,” Emma walked over and handed him a glass of wine, “come, sit.”

It was an awkward fit, the two of them on the tiny couch near the fire, but they made it work.

“I-,” Bull paused, starting again, “you-“

Emma watched him for a minute as he stumbled over his words, “want me to start?”

“Please.”

“I like you, Bull, and I’d like to be romantically involved with you, but I don’t want to risk it if you really don’t believe in romantic love. If you had offered me the sort of arrangement you brought up the other day a month ago, I might have said yes.”

“Why not now?”

“You mean too much to me now,” Emma shrugged, clearly much more comfortable than Bull was, “it couldn’t be just sex for me, I’m emotionally invested.”

“Qunari don’t dream,” Bull downed his entire glass of wine in one go, “but I’ve spent every night thinking about you for weeks.”

“In a good way?”

Bull nodded, “I can’t promise anything, I still don’t even know if I _can_ love, but I want to try if you’re willing to take the risk on me.”

“I am.”

Bull let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, “yeah?”

“Yes,” Emma smiled as she took a sip of her wine.

“Good,” Bull looked around the room, “so…what now?”

“Now you relax, drink more wine, and we can figure it out.”

***

Emma stood, “it’s getting late.”

“I guess I should go,” Bull set his glass on the table and stood, taking longer than strictly needed.

They had spent the evening talking about everything and nothing. Bull now knew that Emma had an affection for cats, loved baked goods, and had won multiple chess contests within her Circle.

In turn, Bull had told Emma about the food in Seheron, that he didn’t like spiders and all about how he had hurt his ankle.

It was late, and Bull was tired, but he didn’t want to leave.

“Stay.”

“What?”

“Stay. If you want to, that is.”

“Okay,” Bull let Emma led him to the bed, suddenly feeling as if he was on unfamiliar ground.

“You don’t need to look so worried.”

“I’ve had lots of sex, Em, but I’ve always been in control. I don’t know what I’m doing with you.”

“First, I never said anything about sex,” Emma pushed him to sit on the bed as she walked over toward her dresser, “second, are you seriously telling me you’ve never had sex that was an equal power exchange?”

“I…uh…assumed, and no, never.”

“You’ve been missing out,” Emma pulled a nightgown from one of the drawers, “I’m just going to get changed, why don’t you get comfortable?”

“Sure,” Bull turned his attention to his brace and his boots, mentally saying a prayer of thanks that he had worn smalls today, “how comfortable are we talking here?”

“Whatever you want.”

“Careful, Em, you might walk out to a naked Qunari.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Emma called back.

“I thought you said no sex,” Bull considered for a minute before shedding his pants, leaving them on the floor by his boots.

“I still have a bet on your anatomy,” Emma joked as she came from the dressing screen in a soft green nightgown.

“I see, that’s why you’re interested in me, you have bets,” Bull stood and limped to the head of the bed, pulling back the sheets as Emma walked over to the fireplace to feed it for the night.

Bull took the opportunity to watch her, admiring the pale skin of her long legs as she kneeled by the hearth. Bull sat on the bed and waited for her to finish with the fire.

“You’re really beautiful.”

Emma glanced over her shoulder and smiled, “you think so?”

“Obviously.”

“You’ve never said as much,” Emma pointed out as she walked back toward the bed, “other than commenting on my hair.”

“I’ll go on the record now then, you’re stunning.”

She was, and Bull swallowed heavily as she walked toward him. Bull had never been one to discriminate when it came to partners. Men, women, he had tried everything at one point or another, but Emma Trevelyan was built as if the Maker had brought her into being just for him.

She was curvy, with large breasts, round hips, and a slight curve to her stomach that drove him crazy. She was smiling at him now, a slight upturn to the corner of her mouth as he watched her.

“You keep looking at me like that I’m going to have to do something about it.”

“Like?”

Maker, Bull couldn’t think of the last time a partner had challenged him like that, a cocky smile and a smart mouth. He could feel his blood heat as she got onto the bed with him.

“I can think of a few things.”

“Promises, promises,” Emma pushed him to sit against the headboard, comfortably straddling his lap, “you don’t scare me, Bull.”

“Em, you can’t tell me no sex then dress like that and sit on my lap, what do you think I’m going to-“

Bull was cut off by the gentle press of Emma’s lips, and suddenly the mood changed, where there had been a charge of heat and tension, it was replaced with tenderness as she kissed him.

Bull found himself unsure of what to do, where to put his hands if he should deepen the kiss or let Emma set the tone. His fingers flexed against the blankets, and Emma pulled away to kiss him on the nose affectionately.

“Scared to touch me?”

“Scared to fuck this up.”

Emma reached for Bull’s hands, resting them on her bare thighs, “who said you would fuck this up if you touched me?”

“You said no sex.”

“I’m starting to think that you’ve had some very boring sex, Bull. You don’t spend time with your partners without sticking your cock inside of them?”

Bull didn’t get a chance to answer her, her lips pressing against his again. Bull let his hands wander this time, squeezing her thighs, running his hands over the curve of her backside to the sensitive skin of her back.

Emma licked at his bottom lip, and he immediately opened for her, holding her close as they kissed.

It was different, and it left him feeling exposed as they kissed. He was confident with his cock, but he couldn’t remember the last time he cared about if he was any good at kissing.

“Stop thinking so much,” Emma whispered against his lips.

“Tryin’,” Bull pulled her back in, but Emma avoided his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her weight against his chest as she hugged him.

Bull found himself surprised that he was enjoying this, too, and careful to not hit her with his horns, he buried his face against her neck.

“You know what I think, Bull?”

“What’s that?”

“You’ve had a lot of sex, but not much intimacy. Sex is great, but have you ever taken the time to map your lovers’ body? Learned every freckle or scar?”

“I’ve never had the time with any one person long enough to do that. I only get a night, maybe two.”

“That’s plenty of time. I bet I could teach you something new about your body in one night.”

“Prove it.”

Emma smiled, rolling her eyes, “it’s midnight, and I have meetings all morning. You’d only be giving me two hours, not an entire night.”

“Well if you can’t do it,” Bull teased.

Emma snorted, “fine, I have one theory I’ll test.”

“Go ahead.”

“Close your eyes.”

Bull did, carefully resting his head against the headboard. His first instinct was to frown as Emma removed his eyepatch and to angle his face so she wasn’t directly facing the knot of scar tissue.

“Don’t hide from me.”

“It’s ugly.”

“Nothing about you is ugly, Bull.”

Then she was kissing him again, and Bull gradually felt himself relax into it. Emma’s hands were wandering over his shoulders, up his neck, and landed at the base of his horns. Bull let out a pleased groan against her lips as she massaged where the skin met the base of his horn with her thumbs.

“You sound like you’re purring,” Emma whispered, amused, “a giant cat.”

“Feels nice,” Bull murmured, “they’re heavy.”

“I bet,” Emma kissed over his cheeks, kissing his brow over his ruined eye, across his jaw.

Bull couldn’t stop the punched-out groan when she took his earlobe into her mouth and bit down gently, his hands gripping her hips hard enough to bruise at the sudden sensation. He gasped, and as he tried to collect himself wondered if he had ever gotten this hard that fast before.

“Shit…” Bull tried to pull away, an attempt to regain some composure as his body suddenly seemed to slip from his control, but a firm grip on his horn and a fear of hitting Emma if he pulled away kept him still as Emma hummed softly and did it again.

This was ridiculous, and Bull couldn’t help but feel embarrassed at the way he was reacting to something so minor, his cock twitching against Emma’s core as she straddled him, his breath coming in short gasps.

Suddenly she pulled away, and as Bull attempted to collect himself, she repeated her actions on the other ear.

“Em, _fuck_ ,” Bull tried to pull away weakly, no real desire to do so other than a nagging urge to regain control.

“Told you,” Emma whispered.

‘How…” Bull took a deep breath, his cock was aching, “how did you come up with that?”

“I assumed no one ever touched your ears, given how close they are to your horns. I love them, but they look like they would hurt if you got one to the face.”

“They do.”

Emma smiled, shifting back and reaching for the ties of his smalls, “let’s take these off.”

Bull thought about asking why but decided to lift his hips to help her pull the fabric down his legs and off. Emma crawled back into his lap, glancing down at his cock with a smirk.

“You just won me twenty gold.”

Bull laughed, “can we split it?”

“Sure, or we can go out to dinner together next time we’re near a tavern.”

Emma reached for him with more confidence than he could recall from any partners he had previously that hadn’t been Qunari, stroking him slowly from base to tip, her grip showing a level of experience he hadn’t expected.

“Is this okay?”

Bull nodded, watching her pale skin and delicate fingers moved over him, “very okay.”

“Good,” Emma leaned forward, kissing him with a pleased hum against his lips.

Bull stroked the soft skin of her thighs, palmed the curve of her bum, squeezed her hips, and generally just enjoyed the way it felt to finally have Emma under his hands.

Bull assumed it was all the years of study that allowed her to quickly learn how to best touch him, and within minutes he was struggling to keep up with her mouth against his and her clever hands pumping his cock.

“Feel good?” Emma whispered against his ear, his skin coming up in goosebumps.

“Fuck yes,” Bull moaned as she spread the bead of precum over the head of his cock.

Bull could hear rather than see her smile and pleased hum as she gently bit down on his ear again, his cock twitching heavily in her hand.

Emma brought him to the edge gradually, alternating between kissing him, touching his horns and his ears, kissing along his neck until he was holding back by sheer force of will.

“Bull?”

“Yeah?”

“Cum for me,” Emma kissed him, speeding her movements only slightly, but just enough that she pulled him over the edge with a relieved groan against her lips.

Emma stroked him through it, her kisses going from heated to gentle as he started to soften in her hand and she cleaned the evidence away with a quick spell.

“Damn, Em,” Bull wiped some sweat from his brow, “quick learner.”

“I’m hardly a blushing virgin, Bull. I don’t think I would have a Qunari in my bed if I were.”

Emma kissed him again, a sweet press of lips as she shifted from his lap to sit beside him.

“What can I do for you?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing. I should get some sleep.”

“You…don’t want anything?”

“I want lots of things, but it’s late, and you’re going to need some time to recover. Come and lay down so I can cuddle on you.”

Bull stared at her dumbfounded, “what?”

“Lay down,” Emma repeated, pulling back the sheets and slipping her legs under the blankets.

Bull shifted, stretching out on the bed, grateful that it fit his height. Emma curled up against his side, pulling his arm over her hip as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Seriously, Em, I feel guilty.”

“For?”

“We can’t just go to sleep, you don’t want me to pleasure you, too? Aren’t you…pent up…after that?”

“Oh my smalls are drenched,” Emma laughed, kissing his chest, “but that was just for you, I can wait for another night. Give it a few minutes and you’ll fall asleep anyway.”

“But-“

“Bull,” Emma glanced up to meet his eyes and Bull squirmed as he realized his eyepatch was still on the table next to them, “have you never had a partner pleasure you without expecting something in return?”

“It’s usually the other way around.”

“Well, I guess I’m different,” Emma smiled at him, warm and reassuring, “go to sleep.”

“Okay.”

Emma dropped off into sleep quickly, snoring softly against his skin as Bull watched her in the dying light of the fire.

Bull brushed some rogue hair from her face, smiling as she mumbled and buried her face further into his skin.

“Yep,” Bull whispered, “you’re different.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asit Tab-El - "The way things are meant to be."

Waking up the morning after with a new partner had always been stressful for Bull. Sometimes, though not often, he would be met with shock. His new partners surprised that he had stayed, instead of leaving in the middle of the night like a secret.

Sometimes they would look for a second round before sending him on his way.

One time he had a husband walk in looking for his wife, and he had been woken up with a sword to his throat.

Never, at least not that he could remember, had he woken up to soft kisses across his forehead and over the ruined skin of his bad eye.

“Em?”

“Are you planning on sleeping the day away?” Emma carefully placed his eyepatch over the scar, tying it around his horn.

That was sweet, too.

“Maybe,” Bull opened his eye as Emma finished with his eyepatch, “will you keep spoiling me if I do?”

“Spoiling you?” Emma laughed, “you don’t like having your patch off, I was just putting it back on for you. That’s not spoiling you.”

“Feels like it.”

“Well, good, you’ll be easy to please then.”

“You managed just fine last night.”

Emma smiled, “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

***

“So, do you want to go out first and I’ll leave in a bit?”

“Why?”

“The Inquisitor bedding a Qunari…”

“None of their business, but I’m not ashamed of you, Bull. We’ll walk out together.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

Bull followed behind Emma down the steps toward the great hall, “seriously, Em…”

“I’m not ashamed of you, Bull,” Emma repeated as she took his hand in hers, “and no one who loves us will care that we’re together. If they do, they can leave.”

Emma pushed the door open easily, walking with him to the table that they usually had breakfast with the inner circle.

It didn’t miss either of their notice that the table fell silent as they arrived.

“Sera?”

“Yeah?”

“You owe my twenty gold.”

It was all that needed to be said to break the tension, Sera laughing loudly and tossing her a small leather pouch, Varric grumbling before tossing one of his own to Emma as well.

“Here you go, darling,” Emma passed one of the pouches to Bull before taking her seat, Bull sitting next to her.

“Did it fit?” Sera asked in between fits of giggles.

“You bet.”

“Was he any good?”

“Excellent,” Emma poured herself some tea, winking to Bull.

“You like danger, don’t you? You wouldn’t catch me letting him anywhere near me with his…”

“It comes with the job.”

***

“It went well I take it?” Krem joked as Bull walked into the tavern, his bag over his shoulder as he prepared to leave for the Storm Coast.

“Yeah, we’re giving it a try.”

“Good news,” Krem gestured with a nod of his head for Bull to follow him toward the stables, “now you just got to keep her, yeah?”

“What do you mean?”

“This isn’t like your normal conquests. If you’re in a relationship that means that you’ve got to work to keep her. She could still change her mind, get rid of you if she’s not feeling satisfied.”

The thought hadn’t occurred to Bull, and with Krem and the others leaving for the Storm Coast a sense of unease settled over him. Who was he going to speak with if he had questions?

“Any suggestions?”

“Romance her?” Krem shrugged, “dinner, wine, you know the usual.”

“You say that like I have any idea what I’m doing.”

“Better figure out. There is a big list of people waiting for you to screw up.”

“You’re really good at advice, anyone ever tell you that, Krem?”

***

Bull had decided to venture into the library after Krem left with the others, deciding to turn to research human relationships within the various tomes that made up their shelves.

Dorian had been nice enough to point him in the right direction and had thankfully kept the mockery to a minimum.

There had been more books than Bull had expected with various topics of relationships and romance discussed throughout. They touched on things like gifts, courting, arranging a marriage, the expectation of children, and how all of the above differed depending on if you were courting a Human, Elf, or Dwarf. None of the books he had found touched on how to keep a relationship happy, or what to do if you were romancing a Human noble who had spent their life locked in a tower.

“Why don’t you speak with Varric,” Dorian had suggested, “he makes his money from romance novels, doesn’t he?”

“I don’t need all of Skyhold knowing that I have no idea how to manage a relationship.”

“True,” Dorian tapped his chin as he considered, “Cassandra?”

“We aren’t that close.”

“Josephine?”

“Likely to lecture me on how bad it looks for Emma to even court me in the first place.”

“Cullen’s a prude,” Dorian listed off, “Solas is a snob, Sera will prank you, Blackwall has a thing for her, Cole wouldn’t have any experience, I’ve never courted anyone, never mind a woman. You get along with Vivienne well, and she is in similar standings as Emma, maybe she could point you in the right direction?”

“Worth a shot,” Bull stood, “thanks, Dorian.”

“Best of luck, my large horned friend.”

***

“You need to think of her status, dear,” Vivienne spoke from the balcony where they watched Emma speaking with Cullen and the Templars, “she’s remarkably humble, but comes from a very noble family in Ostwick. She’s also incredibly intelligent, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching her the ways of the Knight Enchanter over the past few weeks and she has succeeded in every lesson I’ve given her.”

“So what do nobles do when it comes to romance?”

“Had she not been a Mage, her marriage would have been arranged for her. As it is, her value as a partner was limited as a magic-user. Stupid, if you ask me.”

“Agreed.”

“What does she like? What do you enjoy together?”

“We talk a lot,” Bull smiled as Emma hugged one of the Templars who walked over to her, a change from her apprehension previously, “when we go out we like to go shopping, or go out to a tavern.”

“I saw the necklace you bought her,” Vivienne had a hint of a smile on her face, “it’s charming.”

“Reminded her of her dad.”

“So she said.”

“She wasn’t going to buy it, it was expensive, but she lit up when she saw it, like a flame sparking to life. I couldn’t leave it.”

“Very kind of you.”

“I guess,” Bull shrugged, “I just wanted her happy.”

“I have to admit, Bull. I’m not sure why you came to me for advice.”

“I don’t know how to romance her, keep her. Krem told me that I needed to keep working at it.”

“From what you’ve told me, and from what Emma has told me, I think you’re doing just fine the way you are, Bull.”

***

Despite Vivienne’s reassurances, Krem’s warnings fluttered around his mind all day. Eventually, he had asked to borrow one of Varric’s books from Cassandra and had spent the afternoon reading the first edition of Hard in Hightown.

Poetry, love letters, dancing, there were plenty of ideas, but none that Bull could actually see himself _doing_.

By the time dinner came along, Bull felt hot and restless, his skin practically itching at the thought of seeing Emma again.

“Hi, you,” Emma greeted him with a smile, “how was your day?”

“Good,” Bull took a seat beside Emma at the table, “is it alright if I sit here?”

“Of course,” Emma poured him some wine and greeted Varric with a nod as he joined them.

“How are the lovebirds?”

“Just fine,” Emma answered, “how are you?”

“Not bad,” Varric helped himself to some of the food on the table, “any fancy plans for the night?”

“Bull?” Emma prompted, and Bull felt a sense of panic wash over him.

“I, uh, didn’t have anything planned…”

“We’ll probably spend some time in the tavern, or maybe in my quarters,” Emma shrugged, “I’ve been running around all day. You would not believe how much lyrium Templars need. I thought we had plenty, but Cullen told me today that we’re running low. It’s almost impossible to find right now.”

“I could help,” Varric offered, “I have some sources.”

“I would appreciate that.”

Bull was grateful for the distraction, it gave him time to plan.

***

“What would you like to do now?”

Dinner was finished and Bull had barely eaten anything, captured in his mind as he tried to figure out what to say or do with Emma for the rest of the night.

“Go up to your room?”

“Sure,” Emma stood, saying a brief goodnight to those still in the great hall and walking toward the door to her quarters.

Bull took in how relaxed she looked as she unlocked the door and held it open for him, no sign of stress or anxiety on her face as she waited for him to walk in and locked the door behind him.

“What did you get up to today?”

“Reading,” Bull answered as he followed her up the stairs, “spoke with Vivienne for a while.”

“That’s nice, I think I’m finally growing on her.”

“She spoke very highly of you today, said you’re doing well with your classes.”

“She’s an arrogant bitch of a woman, but she’s very good at magic,” Emma lit the fire with a wave of her hand, “I couldn’t imagine being friends with the wife of my spouse. I hate the thought of arranged marriages.”

Bull sat on the bed, it was far more comfortable than the tiny couch, “she mentioned if you hadn’t been a Mage they would have arranged a marriage for you.”

“Maybe,” Emma sat next to him, kicking off her shoes, “my parents were an arranged marriage, but they didn’t love the idea, either.”

“Are they happy together?”

“My parents? I’m sure they were, at some point. Keep in mind I didn’t see much of their marriage, and my father has been gone for years. I think when I was sent to the Circle it created some tension. Father always thought that mother should have lied, concealed my magic. I think he felt it a betrayal, telling the Templars about me. Even if he loved her, he loved his children more. Did you know your parents?”

“No,” Bull started on his brace so he could remove his boots, “Qunari children are raised by many women, and you don’t generally know if any of them carried you or not. As I told you before, Qunari’s don’t believe in love, so two people might be encouraged to have children because they think it would be for the betterment of us all, but they wouldn’t be _together_ , not like…”

“Us?”

“Yeah.”

“So do you have someone that you think of as a mother, if I say the word mother does any one face come to mind?”

Bull thought about it as he pulled off his boots, “Yeah, I guess. One.”

“What was she like?”

“A troublemaker. She would sneak us cookies, or let us play when we were meant to be training. She was the one that would actually comfort us if we got hurt, instead of just shouting at us to stand up.”

“That sounds nice, it’s hard to picture you as a child.”

“Oh?”

“I think it’s the horns,” Emma gestured to his head, “they’re so big.”

“Most Qunari would hate to have horns like this, they prefer if they grow back instead of out to the side. When I was young they kept them cut down so I didn’t hit the others in the face while we were training.”

“Does that hurt?”

“Sort of, it’s like when you break your nail really low down.”

Emma winced at the thought, “when did you start growing them out?”

“When I came to Ferelden.”

“And your tattoos?”

“Also in Ferelden.”

“Riddle me this, Bull. Why did you get tattoos just to cover them with a harness?”

“Ah,” Bull laughed, looking at the leather on his shoulder, “I’m old, and my shoulder hurts when I lift my axe all day. Stitches came up with this as a brace, so I wasn’t so sore all the time.”

“Is there anything you miss from Seheron?”

The question took Bull by surprise, “why?”

“I’m curious. You don’t speak about it much, I assume because you were a spy, but now you’re a free agent, so I was wondering if there was anything that you miss?”

“The heat,” Bull said after a moment, “the food.”

“Did you have any friends there?”

“Sort of, people that I trusted, but we would move around a lot within units, so no one I knew for very long.”

“I have one more question because I know you don’t like talking about Seheron for very long.”

He didn’t, and he was surprised she had noticed.

“What’s the question?”

“What sort of cookies would your mother sneak you?’

Bull chuckled, “cookies by name only, they’re just these little plain circles. Nothing fancy. Sugar was a rarity in Seheron, so any cookie at all was exciting.”

“Well,” Emma jumped from the bed, skipping over to her desk before returning with a small metal tin, “you’re in luck.”

“Oh?”

“I happen to have an awful sweet tooth,” Emma opened the container and passed it to Bull, “so I always have cookies.”

Bull looked into the tin and found a selection of various cookies in many different colours inside, most no larger than a gold piece.

“Have some,” Emma grabbed a square cookie that was a vibrant pink, “they’re good. I made them myself.”

“You did?” Bull pulled out a small blue cookie, looking at his carefully before taking a bite.

“I have all sorts of useless talents.”

***

“We could play chess,” Bull suggested as Emma started to undo the straps on his shoulder, “or read?”

“We could,” Emma agreed, tugging on one of the stubborn straps.

“Or we could go for a walk, or go to the tavern, or play wicked grace.”

“Mmhmm,” Emma let out a small noise of triumph as she freed his arm from the harness.

“Or go for a ride.”

“Do you want to do any of those things?”

He didn’t, he was perfectly happy to sit in Emma’s room, drink wine, and snack on cookies all night. He also didn’t want to bore her or seem like he wasn’t putting in an effort.

“We can do whatever you want to do, Em.”

“Bull,” Emma pressed a kiss to his shoulder, “what’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“For a spy, you’re a shit liar.”

“Krem said I need to be romantic to keep you interested. I don’t know the first thing about being romantic,” Bull sighed, “I spent my morning reading about it, and then I spoke to Dorian, and then Vivienne, but no one had ideas for me. If you wanted me to bind you to this bed and pleasure you until you screamed, no problem. I don’t know how to do this.”

“You researched? Spoke with our friends?”

“Yeah…”

“It didn’t occur to you that the effort you were putting in might be romantic all by itself?”

“No,” Bull studied Emma’s face and found no signs of disappointment there, “I really like you, Em.”

“I really like you, too,” Emma shifted onto her knees so she could reach to kiss him.

Bull reached for her, pulling her into his lap with little effort and wrapping his arms around her waist. Emma smiled, he could feel It against his lips, and he pulled away to speak.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Emma pulled him back with a firm grip on his horn, “I’m not done with you yet, Bull.”

Bull chuckled as Emma peppered his face with soft kisses, “what are you doing?”

“Having fun,” Emma pulled away, “and now I’m going to get changed for bed. Are you going to stay?”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

“Sure.”

Emma smiled, slipping from the bed and toward her dresser retrieving something to sleep in before slipping behind the dressing screen.

“I don’t know why you change behind that screen,” Bull called as he pulled off his pants, “I’ll see you naked soon enough.”

“Oh?” Emma laughed, “Is that so?”

“Hopefully,” Bull stretched out on the bed in his smalls, feeling more at home in Emma’s bed than he ever had in the room he had called his own above the tavern or in Seheron. It was peaceful here, and Bull found himself enjoying the domesticity more than he thought that he would.

Her nightgown was a warm copper silk tonight, and it complimented the warmth of her hair as she came from behind the screen.

“Do you always dress like that for bed, or are you trying to impress me?”

“I always dress like this for bed,” Emma retrieved what was left of her wine and sipped from the glass as she looked over Bull in her bed, “when should a woman feel attractive if not in her bedroom?”

“You’re always attractive,” Emma was looking at him like she was planning on eating him for dinner, and Bull couldn’t stop his body from reacting, his cock twitching in his smalls as she looked at him.

“I’m glad you think so,” Emma sat her glass aside, walking to the bed to the bed and sitting down beside Bull who clenched his fists to keep from touching her.

They sat in silence watching each other in the flickering candlelight, it was almost trance-like, and if Bull hadn’t known that he was here in Emma’s room he might have thought her the perfect desire demon, made just for him.

Bull wasn’t sure how long it took, minutes, hours, before the urge to touch her won out and he reached for her hand, holding it like it was made of glass, his heart jumping at the contact.

“What are you doing to me, Saarebas?”

“ _Asit tal-eb_.”

The words fell from Emma’s mouth so confidently yet so softly that for a moment, Bull thought that he might have imagined them.

Emma’s fingers slipped from his as she reached for his chest, resting her hand over his thundering heart as he looked at her in wonder as his mind provided _yes, she did just say that_ and _yes, she just spoke Qunlat_.

Bull was surprised in hindsight that he hadn’t knocked Emma from the bed as he sat up, pulled Emma against his chest and flipped them so she was on her back in the middle of the bed with a halo of red hair around her.

She was stunning, but Bull took only a moment to admire her before he kissed her with all the heat and longing that he felt in his soul.

It would be intimidating to most, having a massive Qunari pin you to the bed and kiss you with such desire, and Bull wondered if he might have been too aggressive, but as he tried to pull away Emma shifted to spread her legs and pull him to settle between them.

“Can I touch you?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay folks, writers block is a bitch.

“Yes,” Emma whispered as she pulled Bull in for another kiss.

Bull did his best not to rest too much of his weight on Emma, but as she rolled her hips up to brush her core against his cock where it strained against his smalls he gave in to the urge to close the distance between them.

“You better take that pretty dress off,” Bull growled as he carefully trailed one of his hands from her waist to her breast, teasing a nipple through the silk, “I’ll probably tear it.”

“Give me some room,” Emma pushed on his chest until Bull sat on his knees, pulling the silk over her head and dropping it on the floor beside the bed.

“ _Fuck_.”

Bull could do nothing but stare, momentarily breathless at the sight of Emma bare before him.

“No smalls?” he managed to whisper after a moment of admiring the swell of her breasts, the dip of her waist, and the curve of her hips.

“I saw our night headed in this general direction,” Emma dropped back against the mattress, “come here, darling.”

Suddenly Emma seemed too small, too fragile, for his large form to touch. Bull felt a moment of insecurity wash over him at the idea that he had ever wanted to bind her feminine form in rope and knots.

Emma was the fire that rushed through his veins, she was never meant to be restrained. She was something magnificent, powerful, and outside of his control.

“Bull?”

“Yeah, sorry,” Bull shook his head, “you’re stunning.”

“I’m glad I don’t disappoint,” Emma offered him her hand, “come here.”

Bull linked their fingers together, cautiously leaning over her again to take her lips in a passionate, but careful, kiss.

Emma hummed against his lips, squeezing the hand that was holding hers and bringing the other to wrap over his shoulders and hold him in place.

“Can I taste you?”

“Of course.”

Bull fiercely wished he could kiss her neck, his horns inhibiting it while Emma was on her back. He took a moment on his way down her body to admire her breasts, tasting her skin with licks and nips until her nipples were teased to stiff pink peaks and Emma’s fair skin was flushed.

Her stomach was just as beautiful, there was a bright scar just under her ribs on the left side that he kissed and made a mental note to ask Emma about it later.

Bull let out an audible groan as his face was level with the red curls that sat over Emma’s heat, “fuck I love red-heads.”

“So you’ve said,” Emma let out a breathless chuckle, “how do you manage this with your horns?”

“I’m going to move your legs, let me do it so you don’t get hurt.”

“Okay.”

Bull pushed Emma’s legs up, knees bent and feet flat against the mattress, feeding his horns into the space that it left.

He thought, just for a second, about drawing it out. Teasing her with kisses everywhere but where she wanted them, but as he glanced up Emma’s body to her bright green eyes watching him intensely any form of restraint he had been clinging to slipped away.

Emma tasted every bit as sweet as he had thought she would, vaguely metallic, but mild on his tongue as he found her clit circled it.

“ _Yes_ ,” Emma sighed in delighted relief at the contact and Bull grinned. It was always fun to be with a partner that didn’t squirm away from the first encounter. Someone who didn’t hide behind dark rooms or under sheets was always a blessing to find.

It was even better when they were active participants, so when Emma gripped Bull’s horn in one hand and the back of his head with the other, he grinned.

She was beautifully responsive under his hands, rolling her hips and using her grip on his horn to move him where she wanted, and _fuck_ if that wasn’t a beautiful sight. Bull shifted his hips as he felt his cock throb against the bed.

When Emma found her peak she moaned his name like Bull had never heard it before. Something deep and almost spiritual as she trembled under his hands and mouth.

“ _Maker,_ ” Emma gasped as she tried to catch her breath, “I’m not surprised that you’re good at that, but _wow_.”

Bull chuckled, carefully extracting his horns from under her legs, “glad you enjoyed it.”

Bull stretched out beside Emma, unsure of his next steps.

“Come on,” Emma shifted, kneeling beside him and tugging on the ties to his smalls, “off.”

“Yeah?” Bull lifted his hips as Emma tugged the fabric down his legs.

“Did you think I intended on it being one-sided?”

“It was the other night.”

Emma rolled her eyes and straddled him, “if you want me to stop I will, but I would like to pleasure you, too.”

“Oh, I’m not saying stop,” Bull put one arm behind his head, trying to appear relaxed as he gently stroked the soft skin of her hip with the other.

Emma braced her hands on his chest, stretching for a kiss that Bull was happy to return, softly kissing her as she hovered over him.

Then she rolled her hips.

And it had no business feeling as nice as it did.

Bull had done this before, he assumed that most people had as a precursor to sex, but the feeling of Emma’s slick folds brushing over his cock was intoxicating. He had no idea if she was planning on escalating things to sex, but something as simple, as innocent, as kissing and grinding was a novel concept for Bull.

If he was honest, he wasn’t even sure if he _could_ finish this way, but he wasn’t going to tell Emma that.

It was slow, like waves lapping the shore, here and gone again. Gentle but persistent, but even water could wear away stone with enough time.

Eventually, Bull felt his resolve start to slip, his pleasure intensifying with each rock of Emma’s hips. Soft moans falling from his lips each time she brushed over the head of his cock.

It was Emma moaning his name as she came again that sent him over the edge. It took him by surprise as it went from a small flame to a roaring inferno, and he pressed up, pushing himself as firmly as he could against Emma as he spilled.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Bull sighed in relief as he came down from his high, only absently aware that Emma had cleared them with a spell.

“Alright?”

“Oh yeah,” Bull laughed, “just surprised.”

“Why?”

“My sex life, it’s not normally like this. I didn’t think that I would actually finish.”

“Such little faith,” Emma rolled her eyes and Bull was relieved she wasn’t offended at the statement, “what’s wrong with gentle?”

“Nothing, I’m just not used to it.”

“Face it, love, nothing about us together is what you’re used to,” Emma pulled the sheets over them, “but it’s better than what you’re used to.”

Bull considered the words as Emma tucked them both in bed and curled up on his chest.

“You might be right.”

***

“You’re smiling an awful lot, Chief.”

“Got reason to.”

Krem grinned, “she’s good for you. You’ve been happier these last few weeks.”

“Hey, Tiny,” Varric called from the door to the tavern, “you’re going to want to see this.”

“What?”

“They’re doing fittings for the Winer Palace. Your lady is decked out right now. They need you there anyway, they need to measure you for the jacket.”

Bull stood, “coming.”

“Krem, you too.”

“Why me?”

“Inquisitor wants to bring you as well,” Varric gestured for them both to follow him toward the great hall, “you’ll be working security with Sera on the Inquisitor’s quarters in the palace. She wanted someone she could trust.”

“Aren’t you going?”

“Yes, but we’re working on a plan, so I’ll be in the garden, Bull will be in one of the dining rooms, Sera will be speaking with the servants, and you’ll make sure that no one tries to kill her by messing with her room.”

“Shit, I don’t want someone grabbing at me,” Krem grumbled as they walked toward the hall.

“Relax, you know that Em wouldn’t ask you to do something you weren’t comfortable with.”

“Yeah, I know,” Krem let out a grunt as he ran into the back of Bull who had stopped suddenly, “what are you doing?”

“Shit,” Bull waved to the other side of the hall, “look.”

“I can’t see anything, can I? Your big ass is in my way…”

Krem trailed off as he caught sight of what had made Bull stop short.

Emma stood by the throne speaking with Cullen and Blackwall who were doing a terrible job at concealing how they were fawning over her. What had drawn their attention?

Her dress.

Namely the soft rose gold gown that had been fitted to her form perfectly. Even in the dim light of the hall, it sparkled like a million candles as she shifted her weight. It had only slim sleeves over her shoulders, and the back was corseted closed. The neckline was a deep scoop, and the small firefly pendant complimented her long neck.

Her hair had been loosely styled into a waterfall of curls down her back, clearly just a trial for the fitting, but she looked like something out of a romance novel.

“Damn, Chief.”

“I know,” Bull whispered, “I’m so fucking lucky.”

“Your reactions have made my entire day,” Varric waved for them to follow him.

“I’m going to lose it when she looks at me,” Bull kept his voice low so only Krem could hear, “how am I meant to stop myself from ripping that dress off?”

“Be good,” Krem whispered back, “she’s counting on you to represent her well.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Of course, Emma lit up when she saw them walking toward her with Varric, and Bull felt his heart pound in his chest as she excused herself from her conversation with Cullen and Blackwall to join them.

“I was wondering if you weren’t going to join me.”

“You look beautiful,” Bull blurted out, fighting the urge to wince as his mouth ran away with him.

“You like it?”

“Of course I do,” Bull’s hands twitched with the urge to touch her, “what’s not to like?”

“Come on, you two, it’s time for your fittings. Krem, Laura’s been asking about you all morning.”

“Laura?”

“Mmhmm,” Emma pushed open the door to Josephine’s office, “you didn’t think I would have just _any_ seamstress work on my dress, do you?”

***

By the end of the day, Laura had managed to pin together and temporarily sew jackets for most of the Inquisition. She looked exhausted, but there was no question that she did good work.

“Don’t you all look sharp,” Emma walked around the great hall admiring those wearing their bright red Inquisition jackets, still wearing her ball gown, “you’re going to turn heads on the dance floor.”

“No dancing for me,” Cullen immediately protested.

“Me either,” Varric agreed.

“Krem, Bull?” Emma turned to face them, “you’ll dance, yes?”

“I would, but I don’t know how,” Krem shrugged.

“Bull?”

“Yeah,” Bull answered immediately, “of course.”

He bristled slightly as he heard Krem snort and make some sort of comment about love. He wasn’t sure if Emma had heard it, too, but she turned her bright green eyes to Krem and arched an eyebrow.

“Can someone go and get Maryden? I’m going to teach our friend here how to dance.”

Bull laughed, and Krem cleared his throat, “now?”

“I’m not doing it at the Winter Palace,” Emma lit the candles in the room with a wave of her hand, her dress sparkling as she took Krem’s hand and brought him before the throne, the only open place in the hall to dance.

“I don’t know if I should be dancing with my boss’s lady…”

“Oh you have my full permission,” Bull leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Maryden?” Emma greeted the bard warmly, “I need to teach Krem to dance, do you have any songs you might suggest?”

“A few, my lady.”

“Lovely, alright, Krem, come and take my waist.”

“I’m sorry?”

Bull laughed as Emma pulled Krem in close, placing his hand on her waist, “good luck, Krem. You’ll need it.”

***

It had turned out that Krem was something in the way of a natural dancer, and within the hour Emma and Krem were twirling around the great hall like they had been dancing together their entire life. Bull felt a small sense of satisfaction at the smiles on both of their faces as they moved.

As the song came to a close, Krem was beaming, and Emma’s face was flushed, her smile lighting up her eyes as they separated.

“I knew you could do it.”

“Yeah, well,” Krem blushed, “good teacher.”

***

The rest of the week had been preparations for the Winter Palace. Laura had been so busy; they had set her up with a room in Skyhold and left her to work.

Bull had to admit, it was nice. Overdone, sure, too much gold everywhere, but it was a nice break from Skyhold.

The look on Josephine’s face when Emma had insisted that they shared a room had been worth it, too. He had assumed they would have been separate, maybe meet up under the cover of darkness, but Emma had put her foot down right out of the gate.

There was something deep in his chest that was elated at her defensive of their relationship, especially somewhere as important as this, but he had filed that away to deal with later.

Right now he was looking for Emma, who had disappeared after revealing the coup without so much as raising a staff. She had been speaking with the Empress when he lost sight of her.

“Your Highness,” Bull was secretly impressed that Celene hadn’t jumped when she had turned and found a Qunari, “I’m sorry for the interruption, have you seen the Inquisitor?”

“She is on the balcony,” Celene nodded in the direction of the side door, “speaking with one of my advisors. You are her partner, no?”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

“She speaks of you quite fondly,” Celene gestured for Bull to follow her as she walked toward where Emma had gone, “she’s brave, to announce she’s courting a Qunari here of all places.”

“I didn’t hear an announcement.”

“One of the noble families here offered her one of their sons, she said no. When they reacted with offense, she pointed you out in the crowd and said that you two were seriously involved. She then spent the better part of an hour defending your relationship. Naturally, as is the Winter Palace, everyone knew you two were together within minutes of the encounter.”

“Oh.”

“And despite _many_ rude comments, she hasn’t hidden your relationship once.”

“She’s always been bold, thank you, for telling me.”

“You are a lucky man, Ser Bull.”

“That much I know,” Bull watched as Morrigan walked from the balcony, a small bow as she passed, “excuse me.”

“Enjoy your evening.”

“I hope to, I owe my lady a dance.”

***

“Inquisitor,” Krem greeted as Bull and Emma retired for the evening, “your room has not been tampered with.”

“I knew I could trust you, Krem,” Emma kissed Krem on the cheek, “you can go, grab a drink, steal some food, head to bed. We’ll leave in the morning.”

“Will do, night, Chief.”

“See you later, Krem.”

Emma pushed open the door, smiling as Bull let out a low whistle as he took in the room, “big.”

“I have a big man, it made sense,” Emma did a slow circle of the room, her fingers brushing the top of the desk, the edge of the washbasin, the velvet of the curtains, and the gilding on the bedposts.

“I heard you had some grief about me today.”

“A bit,” Emma shrugged, “ask me if I care what they think.”

“Do you?”

“No,” Emma laughed, “my mother already knows about you, as do my siblings, it’s not as if I’m keeping you secret and they have something they can use against me.”

“You’re Inquisitor though…”

“For now, not forever. Eventually, someone will take my place, once this is done, and who I’m bedding won’t be of interest to anyone as I’ll have no status to speak of. I’ll just be an apostate with a magic hand. Why should I wait until later to be happy when I could be happy now?”

“I make you happy?”

“Disgustingly so,” Emma started on her laces of the dress, “do I make _you_ happy?”

“Of course you do,” Bull undid the buttons of his jacket, watching Emma disappear behind the dressing screen, “isn’t it obvious?”

“You don’t miss bedding a different woman each night?”

“No,” Bull was surprised to find that was true, “I haven’t even thought about it.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Bull groaned as he managed to get his jacket off, sitting down to work on the brace next, “can you help with my shirt?”

“Sure,” Emma stepped from behind the screen just as Bull had managed to pull his boots off, “the horns must make it hard.”

“Yeah,” Bull watched Emma cross the large room, now dressed in a very simple cotton nightgown, “I get stuck in them.”

Emma hesitated mid-stride, “you realize I want to watch now, yes?”

“Em…”

“I know, I was joking,” Emma stood in front of Bull as he sat on the bed, reaching for the laces of his shirt.

“You did well today.”

“You think?”

“Everyone thinks.”

“I’m exhausted,” Emma undid the laces of Bull’s shirt, opening the neckline as much as she could, “arm out first, then I’ll deal with your horns.”

It was awkward, but they managed it, Emma letting out a small hum of satisfaction as his chest came into view.

“I did it!”

“You did,” Bull smiled, it was hard not to find Emma endearing when she was excited about something, “good job.”

Emma sighed happily as Bull pulled her into his arms, “I’m so tired.”

“Come on,” Bull easily pulled Emma onto the bed, “time for bed.”

“The candles…”

“I’ll get them. Get into bed.”

Emma smiled gratefully, slipping under the sheets as Bull limped around the room to put out the candles, stopping only to feed the fire and checking that the door was locked.

By the time he was ready to join Emma in bed, she was already sleeping. Breathing deeply as Bull set the one remaining candle on the bedside table and slipped under the sheets next to her. Bull watched her for a minute before opening his book and settling in to read until he was tired.

***

Emma shifted, stirring slightly, and opened her eyes to find Bull looking down at her with a smile.

“Shit,” Emma rubbed her face, “sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep without you.”

“It’s fine, you were tired,” Bull set his book aside, blowing out the candle and moving further into the bed.

As expected, Emma curled around him almost instantly, kissing his chest as she settled on his chest. Bull thought to Emma’s question earlier, about the women that came before her.

“How could I miss bedding a different woman every night when we have this?” Bull kept his voice low, “I’ve never had this before.”

“What, love?”

Bull froze, just for a moment. It was the first time the word had been said between them.

“Yeah.”

“It’s nice,” Emma agreed, “I like not needing to worry about Templars barging in.”

“I’d just keep going, let them watch.”

Emma laughed, “oh?”

“Why not?”

“What if I’m shy?”

“You’re not shy,” Bull rolled his eye, “you wouldn’t have told the Orlesian court you were romancing a Qunari if you were.”

Emma shifted so she could see Bull’s face, “that meant a lot to you, didn’t it?”

There was no point lying, “yeah, it did. It meant a lot that you brought Krem, too, and everything you’ve done for him. It means a lot that you saved my men when I struggled to. _You_ mean a lot.”

Emma’s smile was brilliant, and as her lips met his he could still feel the upturn at the corners of her mouth.

Bull had pictured how this night might happen for weeks now, months if he counted his time in the Inquisition when his feelings for Emma were nothing more than lust. He could honestly say that it never occurred to him that it might take place in a _palace_ , but he had more surprising things in his life.

They kissed for what felt like hours, his smalls and her nightgown thrown off the bed at some point as the weight of the heavy down-filled blanket and their combined body heat became too much.

Bull had kissed his way down her body, tasting her eagerly as she moved her legs around his horns expertly, whispering words of praise as he brought her over the edge.

This was normal for them, so as she reached for his cock when he hovered over her he assumed she would stroke him to his peak and they would settle into bed together.

He groaned as she spread her legs, making room for him to settle between them, and lined his cock up with her entrance.

“You’re sure?”

“Of course,” Emma kissed him, too sweetly for the position they were in, and Bull steadied himself as he _gently_ pushed forward.

Emma’s moan sounded like more shock than pleasure, so Bull stopped for a moment to let her adjust.

“Okay?”

“You’re huge,” Emma laughed breathlessly, “it doesn’t hurt, it’s just been a while.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”

“I trust you, love,” Emma kissed him again.

That shouldn’t have turned him on the way it did but the urge to bury himself as deeply as he could washed over him in a tidal wave. As Emma was distracted kissing him he rocked his hips, slowly and gently, until his hips met her backside.

It only took a minute or two for Emma to adjust, as she let out a needy whine against his lips he moved.

They fit together perfectly, and it seemed like they could read each others’ thoughts as they moved together.

Bull treasured each sigh and moan that fell from Emma’s lips, committing them to memory as he felt her desperation grow.

“ _Bull_ ,” Emma shoved him, catching him by surprise as she rolled with him, straddling him and increasing the speed. Bull had been content to take things slowly, clearly, Emma had other ideas.

He was hardly surprised that she rode him like a wild woman, her hands on his chest as she rocked over him. Bull bit his lip to keep from spending, bringing his thumb to brush over her clit as she moved. He was determined to last, so the faint taste of copper on his tongue seemed like a small sacrifice as she started to flutter around him.

Emma called out as she came, a bright happy sound as Bull followed right behind her with a roar, holding her hips with a bruising grip as he filled her.

Emma collapsed against his chest with a huff, panting against his skin as he wrapped his arms over her back.

“That was amazing, Kadan.”

“It was,” Emma agreed, freezing as there was a knock at the door, “oh shit, how loud were we?”

“Very.”

“Fuck,” Emma rolled off of him, grabbing his shirt from the floor and rushing to tie it up as she jogged to the door, “cover your shame, Bull.”

“You’re good,” Bull pulled the blanket over his lap.

Emma opened the door, one of the palace guards standing on the other side with a shocked expression.

“Inquisitor?”

“Yes?” Emma made sure to stand in a way so Bull was also visible, “can I help you?”

“Are you alright? We heard a shout.”

“Ah, yes,” Emma waved in Bull’s direction, “my apologies, my lover is quite enthusiastic.”

“I see,” the guard looked away as Bull waved at him, “you are well?”

“I am,” Emma confirmed, “I’m sorry if I frightened you. Rest assured any noises from my room tonight are likely just two lovers enjoying themselves. Feel free to ignore it.”

“Yes, Inquisitor.”

“Goodnight,” Emma shut the door and locked it, turning to Bull with a smirk.

“Minx,” Bull held his hand out for Emma, “you’re going to get tongues wagging.”

“I’m not sure everyone heard us, shall we try again?”

Emma skipped over to the bed, pulling his shirt off and jumping onto the mattress, squealing as Bull caught her and pinned her to the bed.

“Round two?” Emma laughed, bright, and joyful.

“I love you, Kadan.”

If Emma was shocked by the words, she didn’t show it, cupping his face and kissing him before pulling back just enough to say, “I love you, too, darling.”

Bull wasn’t sure where they were going to end up. If they were going to survive the war or end up dead in a ditch somewhere, but as Emma grabbed one of his horns and pushed his head back between her legs with a smirk he knew one thing for certain.

Him and Emma? They would be just fine.


End file.
